Unemployment woes: did you know there are over 8 lakh Central govt posts lying vacant?

Rajya Sabha MPs on Tuesday made a demand to fill over eight lakh posts lying vacant in the Central government, saying vacancies are unjustified at a time unemployment rate is high.

Raising the issue through a zero-hour mention, V Vijayasai Reddy said the government sector is overflowing with vacancies at a time there is rising unemployment.

According to official data, there are about eight lakh vacancies in the Central government, including one lakh in the armed forces and two lakh in the railways.

"The government is not notifying the vacancies and conducting examination and declaring the result," Reddy said, adding that some delays may have been caused because of examination question paper leaks and litigations in courts.

V Sivadasan (CPM) said according to data provided by various ministries, there are 1,25,555 posts vacant in armed forces, 2,65,547 in railways and 80,752 gazetted posts are lying vacant.

He sought the urgent filling of vacancies in Central government as well as public sector units.

M V Shreyams Kumar (LJD) said at a time unemployment rate touched 8 per cent in December, eight lakh posts in the central government are lying vacant.

"I urge the government to take necessary steps to fill the sanctioned posts so that the youth get employment," he said.

Alleging distortion in a tweet by the BSF, Dola Sen (TMC) said the paramilitary force's official Twitter handle had on January 26 tweeted about BSF personnel from different states but north Bengal was mentioned in the case of West Bengal.

Expressing shock and hurt, she said it is a serious issue of deep concern. "How can this type of distortion happen from the official Twitter handle of BSF?" She wanted the Central government to take action to protect dignity and constitutional right of West Bengal.

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu hoped they will take note of it and correct it.

Tiruchi Siva (DMK) raised the issue of Indians migrating, saying 18 million people are living outside the country.

Between 2000 and 2020, India saw the largest migration with 10 million citizens leaving for other countries, he said, adding that 8.81 lakh people gave up their Indian citizenship between 2015 and 2021.

These are not the people from lower strata and unskilled labourer but are skilled personnel like scientists, researchers, doctors, IT professionals and engineers, he said. The government, Siva said, should create opportunities within the country to stop the migration of such people.

Sushil Kumar Modi of the BJP demanded levy of GST of 28 per cent - the maximum tax slab - on services provided by crypto exchanges in line with the tax rate on lottery, betting, gambling and casinos.

He said income from crypto has been charged with the highest 30 per cent tax without an exemption but there is no clarity over the levy of GST on services provided by crypto exchanges.

The government, he said, is levying 18 per cent GST only on services provided by the crypto exchanges and is treating them as financial services. "But crypto is similar to lotteries, casinos, betting, gambling, horse racing, which has 28 per cent of GST and that is also on the entire value of the transaction." Even on gold, there is a GST on the entire value. Shares too attract GST on the entire transaction value, he said asking the government to take to the GST Council a proposal to levy 28 per cent GST on the entire value.

"It is not an instrument of skill, it is an instrument of chance," he said. "Nobody knows who is the owner of the crypto. there is no intrinsic value, it is neither security or commodity." Fauzia Khan (NCP) raised the issue of encroachment of waqf land and demanded a change in the law to penalise such attempts. She also demanded an SIT to look into encroachment of waqf properties and digitisation of all waqf documents.

While Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar (TDP) raised the issue of alleged mismanagement of village panchayats in Andhra Pradesh, Amar Patnaik (BJD) demanded measures to protect the handloom sector.

Abdul Wahab (IUML) raised the issue of hundreds of Indian citizens being stranded at deportation centres in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries while Mahesh Poddar (BJP) raised the issue of minorities like Christians facing atrocities in Pakistan.