It’s PM Modi’s birthday today; Youth Congress observes the day as National Unemployment Day
Indian Youth Congress celebrates September 17th, which is also PM Modi’s birthday, as National Unemployment Day. BJP kickstarts 20-day event to celebrate their leader.
The Indian Youth Congress (IYC) is observing September 17th as National Unemployment Day. Incidentally, September 17 (today) is also Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday.
This year, the PM’s birthday celebrations will go on for 20 days as ‘Seva aur Samarpan Abhiyan’ till October 7th, the day Modi was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Gujarat for the first time in 2001.
Renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik wished Modiji on his birthday in his own style, by creating a beautiful sand sculpture of Modi made with 2,035 seashells on the Puri beach.
It is Congress Vs BJP on Modi’s Birthday
Meanwhile, the battle between the two biggest national parties intensified on Twitter on PM Modi’s birthday. The Inidan Youth Congress is trying to highlight the rising unemployment rate in India, whereas BJP has portrayed Modi as the ultimate reformer that India needs right now.
The Youth Congress has alleged that around 32 lakhs of salaried people have lost their jobs during the pandemic. Around 60% of the graduates remain unemployed. The Maharashtra unit of Youth Congress has decided to fry pakodas (fritters) in graduation robes at selfie points organised to observe National Unemployment Day.
Interestingly, netizens have lashed out at Rahul Gandhi’s birthday wishes to Modi for its curt nature. They also compared the ‘nice’ way in which Modi had wished Rahul on his birthday. Acoording to many who to to Twitter, the Congress is suffering from a famine of words.
The young brigade of Congress has questioned the question paper leakages, delayed joining, and exam postponement too.
Meanwhile, BJP leaders and celebrities have hailed Narendra Modi’s contribution towards transforming India into a superpower. They have also acknowledged his role in handling the pandemic. Actor Ranvir Shorey lauded Modi for ending dynasty politics in India.
A few moments ago, BJP leader JP Nadda inaugurated the Seva aur Samarpan Abhiyan. The party has planned an exhibition showcasing Modi’s life.
Unemployment In India
More than 1.5 million people from both the informal and formal sectors have lost jobs in August, putting aside July’s gains, as the rate of unemployment rose in both rural and urban sectors. According to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMEI) data, the number of employed fell from 399.38 million in July to 397.78 million in August. Rural India reported around 1.3 million job losses alone. The rate of national unemployment increased to 8.32% last month from 6.95% in July.
Urban unemployment rose to 9.78% in August, which translates to around 1.5 percentage points rise. In March, just before the second wave of the Covid pandemic hit India, the urban unemployment rate was 7.27%. Rural unemployment also rose month-on-month to 7.64% in August against 6.34% in July. Monthly CMEI data reported that 36 million people were actively looking for jobs in August compared with 30 million in July.
Though employment fell, the labour force participation rate increased marginally in August, reflecting a larger number of people now willing to do jobs.
BJP’s celebration of Modi’s birthday
As Modi turned 71, BJP’s 20-day mega event – Seva and Samarpan Abhiyan – to celebrate his 20 years in public service, could probably be seen as the first time an Indian Prime Minister’s birthday is being celebrated for 20 days.
The BJP workers aim to vaccinate a large number of people through this event and organise health check-ups and blood donation camps. Various units of the party will distribute food and essentials to the orphanages and old-age homes. Additionally, BJP’s Kisan Morcha will organize ‘Krishi Samman Diwas’ to felicitate 71 farmers and 71 youths.
During the campaign, BJP will also conduct programmes at every booth on September 25th and October 2nd to celebrate the birth anniversary of Deendayal Upadhyay and Mahatma Gandhi, respectively.