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The report also highlighted a rise in self-employment, particularly among rural workers and women. A growing number of individuals are opting to work for themselves rather than taking on regular jobs.

India is witnessing a positive trend in job growth, according to the latest World Bank report.

Since the 2021-22 fiscal year, employment in the country has grown at a faster pace than the working-age population, the report highlighted. A significant aspect of this growth is the rising participation of women in the workforce.

“Employment growth has outpaced the working-age population since 2021-22. Employment rates, especially among women, are rising, and urban unemployment fell to 6.6 per cent in Q1 FY24/25, the lowest since 2017-18,” the World Bank report said.

The report also noted a sharp fall in urban unemployment. In the first quarter of the 2024-25 financial year, urban unemployment dropped to 6.6 per cent–the lowest level recorded since 2017-18. Another major trend observed is the shift in worker movement. For the first time since 2018-19, more men are migrating from rural areas to cities in search of employment.

At the same time, rural women are increasingly taking up jobs in agriculture, indicating a shift in employment patterns across the country.

However, the report also flagged persisting challenges. Youth unemployment stands at 13.3 per cent, with the rate even higher among those who have completed higher education–29 per cent of them are still seeking jobs.

Only 23 per cent of non-farm paid jobs are formal, and most agricultural employment remains informal,” the World Bank report said.

The report also highlighted a rise in self-employment, particularly among rural workers and women. A growing number of individuals are opting to work for themselves rather than taking on regular jobs.

Despite the improvement in female employment, disparities remain. The female employment rate has reached 31 per cent, but there are still 234 million more men than women in paid jobs.

“Despite a female employment rate of 31 per cent, gender disparities remain, with 234 million more men in paid work,” the World Bank report said.

Addressing poverty, the report said that the five most populous states–Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh–accounted for 65 per cent of India’s extremely poor population in 2011-12.

While these states have contributed to poverty reduction over time, in 2022-23, they still housed 54 per cent of the country’s extreme poor and 51 per cent of the multidimensional poor.

The incident occurred when the CIA team set up a blockade at 5:30 AM and spotted Sajan Nair, riding a motorcycle with his face covered.

The Jalandhar Rural Police’s CIA team apprehended Sajan Nair, a notorious criminal with 20 heinous cases registered against him, following an encounter near Sura village in the Punjab city on Thursday.

The operation, conducted under the supervision of SSP Harvinder Singh Virk, resulted in Mr Nair sustaining a leg injury after he opened fire on police, who responded in self-defence.

Three pistols and live cartridges were recovered from the possession of Sajan Nair.

Speaking about the encounter, SSP Harvinder Singh Virk said, “Our Jalandhar Rural District CIA police team had set up a blockade at around 5:30 AM. Six of our jawans were present at the police party. A man came on a bike, his face covered with a cloth. The police signalled him to stop based on suspicion because he had a backpack. But he opened fire at the police party and drove away on his bike. The police party followed him and gave this information to the control room, upon which the rest of our forces and senior officials were ordered to rush here.

SSP Virk said, “When the police party intercepted him near Sura village, the suspect fired at the police party again. The police party warned him, but he did not listen. He fired two shots. Then the police party fired in self-defence, injuring his left leg. An investigation revealed that 20 heinous cases have been registered against that man. He was recently released from jail. His name is Sajan Nair. He is a resident of Amritsar. Three pistols and live cartridges have been recovered from him.”

The incident occurred when the CIA team set up a blockade at 5:30 AM and spotted Mr Nair, a resident of Amritsar, riding a motorcycle with his face covered.

After he fired at the police and fled, a chase ensued, culminating in the encounter near Sura village.

The CIA team of Jalandhar Rural police subsequently arrest Sajan Nair. Further investigation into the case is underway.

Locals in Tecoluca, the town overshadowed by the prison, speak only in whispers, fearing retribution for criticism.

Deep within a rural district shielded by armed checkpoints and dense foliage lies one of the world’s most controversial incarceration sites – the Terrorism Confinement Centre, or Cecot. Constructed under the administration of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, the prison stands as a symbol of authoritarian control and a central element of the Donald Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration.

With a capacity of 40,000 inmates, Cecot is touted by Bukele as the largest prison in the Americas, intended to house members of notorious gangs such as MS-13 and Barrio 18. But the prison’s function has rapidly expanded to accommodate deported migrants, including 238 Venezuelans sent from the US. Independent access to the site is prohibited, and only curated visits by allied media or political figures are permitted.

“It’s like Guantanamo on steroids,” Juan Pappier, deputy director for the Americas at Human Rights Watch, told The Guardian.

Since Bukele imposed a state of exception in 2022 – suspending constitutional protections – the country has seen an unprecedented crackdown on crime, with over 85,000 people detained. While gang violence has plummeted and public approval of the president remains high, human rights organisations warn of widespread abuses. Reports indicate that hundreds have died in custody and many detainees have no proven gang affiliations.

Locals in Tecoluca, the town overshadowed by the prison, speak only in whispers, fearing retribution for criticism.

According to local politician Cesar Canas, the facility was built without community involvement. Canas said it was only after a local radio station aired details of their investigation that the president publicly acknowledged the project, revealing plans to build a facility designed to “house 40,000 terrorists,” stated The Guardian report.

The 23-hectare complex was completed in under a year and began receiving inmates in February 2023. What happens inside remains largely unknown. There is only one known prisoner who has left the facility alive.

Noah Bullock, a human rights advocate, told The Guardian the facility was “meant for permanent exile, permanent punishment,” and added that it was “intentionally cruel.”

Inmates are crammed into cells housing up to 80 people, sleeping in metal bunks without mattresses or sheets. They are granted only 30 minutes of exercise daily in a yard without sunlight. Prisoners in solitary confinement have to endure complete darkness.

The facility has been presented as a model of toughness by the Donald Trump administration, with visits by Republican figures to reinforce its anti-immigration messaging.

The Wall Street Journal reported in April 2025 that Bukele aims to double the prison’s size. Trump has even proposed detaining Americans convicted of violent crimes in the facility.

In Tecoluca, such developments are met with unease. “I’d have preferred a mega-university,” a local said.

Despite concerns, most residents seem resigned. As one put it, “We aren’t listened to. People don’t have a voice anymore.”

The study analysed data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) covering over 2.5 million individuals from 2017-18 to 2022-23. 

Over the past five years, India has seen a significant rise in women’s participation in the labour force, with rural areas leading the way, new research has revealed.

The study, titled ‘Female Labour Force Participation Rate: An Observational Analysis of the Periodic Labour Force Survey’, was conducted by Dr Shamika Ravi (EAC-PM) and Dr Mudit Kapoor (ISI, Delhi). It examined trends in women’s involvement in the economy from 2017-18 to 2022-23.

The research analysed data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), which includes information from over 2.5 million people. Labour force participation rate (LFPR) is calculated as the percentage of individuals aged 15 years and above, who are either employed or actively seeking work.

Key Findings:

• Rural female LFPR surged by nearly 70 per cent, from 24.6 per cent in 2017-18 to 41.5 per cent in 2022-23, while urban areas saw a more modest rise from 20.4 per cent to 25.4 per cent. States like Jharkhand and Bihar saw huge growth, with rural LFPR rising by 233 per cent in Jharkhand and increasing sixfold in Bihar.
• Married women in rural areas, particularly in Rajasthan and Jharkhand, showed a significant increase in LFPR. The presence of children under 14 years had a larger impact on urban women, especially those aged 20-35, compared to their rural counterparts.
• Female LFPR followed a bell-shaped curve, peaking between ages 30-40 before sharply declining. In contrast, male LFPR remained high from ages 30 to 50. Marriage was found to lower female LFPR, particularly in urban areas, while married men consistently had higher participation rates.

The study also focused on substantial regional disparities. Punjab and Haryana have persistently low female LFPR, while rural Bihar has shown considerable improvement despite the lowest LFPR in the past. The Northeastern states have also witnessed impressive growth, particularly in rural areas, with Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh leading the way.

Western and Southern India also showed signs of growth in rural female LFPR, although urban areas have seen only a modest increase. Andhra Pradesh stands out with a significant decline in urban female LFPR, especially among women with children.

The rise in female LFPR can be attributed to several government initiatives, particularly those targeting rural women. Programmes such as Mudra loans, the “Drone Didi” scheme, and self-help groups (SHGs) under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana have played a significant role in empowering women in rural areas. These programmes have contributed to the overall increase in LFPR, especially in rural India, aligning with the vision of women-led development.

The study also highlights the need for further research to assess the true impact of government initiatives and address the persistent disparities between states and urban-rural areas.

Minister of Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia said India was committed to offer consumers terrestrial, fiber as well as satellite communications.

India needs satellite internet especially in its rural areas, its telecom minister said, a positive regulatory sign for Elon Musk’s Starlink which has aspirations to operate in the world’s most-populous nation.

“There are many remote corners of the country where you cannot take fiber or mobile connectivity. How do you do 100 percent saturation if you don’t have satellite internet?” Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said in an interview in New Delhi Tuesday. He added that satellite connectivity will be “the only way that you can activate things” if natural disasters destroy towers and fiber networks.

Emphasising the complementary — and not competitive — role played by these services, Scindia said India was committed to offer consumers terrestrial, fiber as well as satellite communications.

The minister’s remarks underscore the solid backing for these services from the Narendra Modi-led government. It also bolsters global firms vying for an Indian entry, including Starlink, Amazon’s Project Kuiper and OneWeb.

While Starlink is yet to secure a regulatory license to start operations in India and is awaiting local rules on spectrum pricing, many things are beginning to align for the US firm. 

Last week, it announced alliances with two Indian wireless operators —- Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio Infocomm and Sunil Mittal’s Bharti Airtel — winning over those who had earlier opposed Starlink being granted cheap airwaves.

Scindia declined to comment on when Starlink may get the license or what price satellite internet firms will be asked to pay for airwaves.

India’s telecom regulator is making rules on the latter and how the spectrum is priced will influence the cost of satellite broadband for users in India.

India is the world’s second-largest internet market, trailing China. Phone data charges are as low as $0.11 (roughly Rs. 9.52) per gigabyte, among the lowest in the world, and any entrant will be fighting for users in a price-sensitive market.

Security Conditions

Scindia said the firms will decide the pricing of their satellite internet services.

Global firms, including SpaceX’s Starlink, will also need to satisfy India’s internal and external security conditions before securing a license. Rival OneWeb as well as Reliance Jio’s JioSpaceFiber has already got the local licenses to start operations.

“Eventually it’ll be an economies of scale argument that’ll come through,” Scindia said. “At this point of time, let the market be penetrated first.”

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