Weekly Freshups - April 3rd Week 2025
1. India Faces Rising Job Gap Despite Economic Growth
India’s economic trajectory post-2017-18 has witnessed substantial growth, but employment creation has failed to match this expansion. The working-age population increased by 9 crore, while formal jobs grew by only 6 crore—creating a deficit of nearly 50 lakh jobs annually. This divergence underscores a growing employment crisis masked by macroeconomic growth numbers.
The structural transformation in India’s economy has not translated into commensurate job creation. Sectorally, the bulk of recent employment stems from informal services and self-employment in rural areas—indicative of underemployment and disguised unemployment. Even labor-intensive sectors like textiles are becoming increasingly capital-intensive, driven by technological innovation and cost advantages. This shift diminishes the potential for mass employment.
A critical factor is the skill mismatch: less than 10% of India’s workforce has formal vocational or technical training, rendering many workers incompatible with emerging sectors. The emphasis on capital over labor stems from both global trends—like cheaper machines—and domestic regulatory burdens that raise labor costs artificially.
Government initiatives such as the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme aim to promote high-tech manufacturing. However, job-intensive sectors like food processing receive lesser emphasis. Similarly, the Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme, although well-intentioned, has not ensured long-term job sustainability or substantial upskilling.
States play a pivotal role in labor market reforms. Flexible labor laws, if coupled with investment in vocational training, can foster both formalization and job growth. The way forward includes aligning production incentives with skill development and revamping Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) to focus on placement-based outcomes.
In essence, India’s demographic dividend risks turning into a liability if employment growth continues to lag behind. A calibrated focus on both job-intensive growth and skilling can restore balance in the labor market.
2. The Arctic Is Becoming a Global Hotspot
Climate change has dramatically altered the geopolitical dynamics of the Arctic. Melting ice caps have unlocked vast natural resources and navigable routes—reshaping the region from a frozen wilderness into a strategic arena of global contestation.
The Arctic reportedly holds 13% of the world’s undiscovered oil, 30% of natural gas, rare earths, and fish stocks. The Northeast Passage offers China and others a shortcut to Europe, reducing travel by nearly 8,000 km. Such opportunities have heightened interest among Arctic and non-Arctic nations alike.
Governance in the Arctic rests with the Arctic Council—comprising eight countries including the US, Russia, and Canada. The legal basis for territorial claims stems from the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), allowing nations to extend claims based on seabed geology. However, overlapping claims—especially between Russia, Denmark, and Canada—have intensified tensions.
Russia, which has the world’s largest fleet of icebreakers, is bolstering military infrastructure in the Arctic. The post-Ukraine invasion scenario has further strained ties, with NATO expanding operations and Russia reasserting dominance.
Non-Arctic actors like China call themselves “near-Arctic states,” eyeing both strategic presence and trade potential. India, too, is monitoring developments, though with caution.
In sum, the Arctic is evolving into a chessboard of competing territorial, economic, and military interests. India must formulate a clear Arctic strategy, balancing environmental diplomacy with strategic foresight.
3. Disinformation Poses Serious Short-Term Threat to India
Disinformation, especially fueled by Artificial Intelligence (AI), is now a top global risk, with serious implications for India. The World Economic Forum’s 2025 Global Risks Report highlights its disruptive potential—affecting democratic processes, economic stability, and societal harmony.
India’s vulnerability lies in its massive digital population, linguistic diversity, and deep-seated social cleavages. Over 900 million Indians are online, yet digital literacy remains limited. As trust in mainstream media wanes, people increasingly rely on social media—where misinformation spreads unchecked, often disguised as ‘trusted’ information from known contacts.
A study by ISB and CyberPeace Foundation reveals that 46% of misinformation in India is political, followed by 33.6% general and 16.8% religious. The risks are compounded by AI-generated deepfakes, algorithmic echo chambers, and politically motivated narratives.
India has taken steps—such as banning Chinese apps and launching fact-checking initiatives like Shakti and Deepfake Analysis Units. However, legal provisions like Section 66A of the IT Act have been struck down, and existing regulations lack teeth to deal with AI-driven disinformation.
A long-term solution lies in strengthening digital literacy, fostering media accountability, building public-private collaborations, and promoting regional cooperation to counter cross-border disinformation.
Disinformation not only undermines truth but corrodes the foundations of democracy. India must treat this as a national security threat and prioritize systemic responses.
4. India Should Consider Granting Dual Citizenship to Diaspora
India hosts the largest diaspora globally, with over 3.5 crore people of Indian origin living abroad. These individuals are vital to the Indian economy—remitting over $130 billion annually, surpassing foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows. In this context, the idea of granting dual citizenship to the Indian diaspora gains renewed urgency and relevance.
India currently offers the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) scheme, introduced in 2005, based on a 2001 High-Level Committee report. However, the OCI card lacks core features of citizenship—it excludes voting rights, access to public office, and ownership of agricultural land. Its revocability further makes it a privilege, not a right. This has prompted calls for a more robust legal framework that grants full citizenship without eroding national security or sovereignty.
Global migration trends, especially in the last five decades, reveal how countries like the US, UK, and Australia have embraced dual or multiple citizenships, allowing their emigrants to retain emotional and legal connections with their home nations. Indians abroad are often forced to renounce Indian citizenship due to host country laws. Dual citizenship would address this dilemma while facilitating easier investment, cultural exchanges, and national branding.
Proponents argue that full citizenship would deepen diaspora engagement, boost remittances, and enable knowledge and technology transfer. Moreover, granting dual citizenship acknowledges the diaspora’s dual identity—loyalty to their host country and emotional attachment to India.
Skeptics raise national security and legal concerns, particularly over voting rights and land ownership. However, a model with reasonable restrictions—as seen in countries like Israel or Portugal—can strike a balance between inclusivity and national interest.
The way forward is to revisit the constitutional feasibility of dual citizenship. India can begin by granting it to PIOs in countries with stable political systems and mutual legal recognition, using a phased or criteria-based approach. Such a policy would cement India’s role as a global diaspora leader and redefine how India engages with its global citizens.
5. India Can Lead Global Clean Energy by 2047
India’s clean energy transition is not just a climate imperative but a strategic and economic necessity. Spending over $130 billion annually on fossil fuel imports, India faces the dual challenge of ensuring energy security and economic resilience. As it approaches its centenary of independence in 2047, the vision of becoming a net exporter of clean electricity presents a transformative opportunity.
The global energy system is undergoing a tectonic shift, led by solar, wind, hydrogen, and storage technologies. India’s solar tariffs are among the lowest in the world, and its geographical location between West Asia and Southeast Asia allows it to become a clean energy bridge. With projects like OSOWOG (One Sun One World One Grid), India is already envisioning transnational electricity trade.
Advancements in High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) lines and undersea cables make global electricity sharing feasible. India’s existing cross-border electricity trade with Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh shows the groundwork is in place.
However, challenges remain. Energy storage infrastructure is inadequate. Bloomberg estimates that India must deploy 50 GWh of storage annually, demanding significant public and private investment. Battery costs are declining, but regulatory frameworks must evolve to support hybrid solar-storage projects and grid integration.
India must also build domestic manufacturing capabilities in HVDC components, battery cells, and cable-laying vessels. Strategic partnerships with Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Europe can fund and support these endeavors. Grid modernization, data-driven energy forecasting, and flexible pricing models will be essential.
India’s goal must be twofold: to eliminate energy poverty at home and become a $100 billion clean power exporter by 2047. With the right mix of policy support, infrastructure investment, and innovation, this aspiration is within reach.
6. Discrimination Against Transgender Persons in India
Despite the landmark Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, transgender individuals in India continue to face widespread exclusion across social, economic, and legal domains. The legal recognition of gender identity has not translated into real empowerment or inclusion.
Implementation remains poor. By the end of 2023, only around 15,800 ID cards had been issued out of 24,115 applications. Bureaucratic apathy, procedural delays, and discrimination within government systems create barriers to accessing even basic entitlements.
Economically, the community faces severe exclusion. A 2022 study showed a 48% unemployment rate among transgender individuals—far above the national average. Despite occasional corporate initiatives like Tata Steel’s inclusion of transgender employees, the labor market remains largely hostile.
Educationally, dropout rates remain high due to bullying and lack of gender-neutral infrastructure. Kerala and Maharashtra have initiated transgender cells in universities and inclusive hostel provisions—but these remain exceptions.
Healthcare access is marred by insensitivity and unaffordability. Many transgender people are denied treatment or face ridicule. Gender-affirming surgeries and hormonal therapies remain prohibitively expensive, with patchy insurance coverage. Though Ayushman Bharat TG Plus offers some relief, it lacks wide-scale implementation.
Mental health issues, stemming from societal rejection and family exclusion, remain under-addressed. Trans persons often turn to begging or sex work due to the absence of social safety nets.
To address these systemic issues, India must move beyond symbolic gestures. Legal implementation must be fast-tracked. Anti-discrimination laws must be enforced in workplaces and educational institutions. Social campaigns, media representation, and family sensitization must work in tandem to shift societal attitudes.
Trans rights are human rights. True empowerment will come not just from recognition but from rights, dignity, and opportunity.
