The India Labour and Employment Report 2014 prepared by the Institute for Human Development and the Indian Society of Labour Economics was released at a function in Hotel Ranchi Ashok, Ranchi by Professor L. N. Bhagat, Vice-Chancellor, Ranchi University in the presence of Professor Alakh N Sharma, Director, Institute for Human Development and Principal Author & Editor of the Report; Professor Manoj Kumar Mishra, Vice-Chancellor, BIT, Mesra, Ranchi and Professor Jean Dreze, Visiting Professor, Ranchi University. The report was released amidst a distinguished gathering of eminent experts, scholars, civil-society representatives, policy-makers and development practitioners. Professor Sharma said that the Report has been “prepared in three years with whatever materials available and with participatory consultations”.

The release was followed by a panel discussion on The Challenge of Employment in India in which some well known academicians and policymakers like Dr. Ramesh Sharan, Head, Department of Economics, Ranchi University; Shri Bikash Kr. Singh, President, Federation of Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce and Industries; Dr. Manju Bhagat, Professor, Department of Management, Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi; Dr. Manish Ranjan, Labour Commissioner, Government of Jharkhand; Professor Binayak Rath, Former Vice – Chancellor, Utkal University; Professor Ratan Khannabis, Hon. Visiting Professor, Institute of Development Studies Kolkata and Dr. Rakesh Tiwary participated in the discussion which mainly centred around the ongoing anti-encroachment drive being conducted in the city and the resultant impact on the earning potential of those displaced in the name of the cleanliness drive in the city.

Key points of ILER 2014 by Prof. Alakh N Sharma

- India adding highest in the global labour force, more than China and in less than a decade will be the highest labour force

- 58% of workforce poor (2$ PPP) – 276 millions; 93% informal; only 10% workers with some position.

- Urban growth; migration and women workforce to accelerate

- Widening inequality across sectors and groups; casual workers get 7% to that of public sector employers

- Successfully absorbing the youth bulge- great opportunity for India, but failure to do so will be a disaster

Noted economist and social activist Jean Dreze advocated the expansion of social spending.Professor L. N. Bhagat, Vice-Chancellor, Ranchi University chaired the panel discussion. Welcome and opening remarks were given by Dr. Harishwar Dayal, Professor and Director, IHD-ERC, Ranchi. The Special Comments were given by Professor Manoj Kumar Mishra, Vice-Chancellor, BIT, Mesra, Ranchi and Professor Jean Dreze, Visiting Professor, Ranchi University.

The launch was organised by Birla Institute of Technology (BIT), Mesra, Ranchi and Institute of Human Development-Eastern Regional Centre(IHD-ERC), Ranchi.

Prior to the eastern region release of the ILER – 2014 the national release of the Report was organised jointly by IHD & ISLE in Delhi on 15 December 2013. The released of the report by the then Union Minister of Rural Development, Mr. Jairam Ramesh and Special Guest were Dr. K S Jomo, Assistant Director General, Food and Agriculture Organisation was presided over by the Professor Deepak Nayyar, Professor Emeritus , JNU.