(a) whether 60 per cent of the total population is dependent on 20 per cent portion of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the rest 40 per cent population is dependent on the 80 per cent portion of the GDP;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereon;
(c) whether the Government has taken a policy decision to improve the aforesaid conditions during the current five years; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING AND MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION
(RAO INDERJIT SINGH)
(a) to (d): Around 44 percent of the country’s workforce is engaged in the agriculture and allied sectors with share of less than 15 percent of GDP while remaining population that is engaged in other sectors form 85 percent of GDP. This metric has improved from 57 percent of the country’s workforce being engaged in agriculture in the 2011 census. With a lower workforce participation rate in rural areas and larger family size, the percentage of population dependent on agriculture is higher than the proportion of agriculture in the workforce.
Government has given priority to rural development with a view to generating adequate productive employment and launched a number of programmes towards this end, which include Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Scheme (MGNREGS), National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), etc. The convergence of MGNREGS with agriculture through effective planning of works is aimed at enhancing the productivity of the agricultural sector.
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