UPSC Mains 2017 · GS III · Q2 · 10 marks · 150 words

Account for the failure of manufacturing sector in achieving the goal of labour-intensive exports. Suggest measures for more labour-intensive rather than capital-intensive exports.

हिन्दी में

श्रम-प्रधान निर्यातों के लक्ष्य को प्राप्त करने में विनिर्माण क्षेत्रक की विफलता के कारण बताइए । पूंजी-प्रधान निर्यातों की अपेक्षा अधिक श्रम-प्रधान निर्यातों के लिए, उपायों को सुझाइए ।

How a topper answered the closest question

Toppers wrote this one in a test series: “Labour and export intensive industries are key to problems of jobless growth. In this perspective, analyse the opportunities and challenges associated with the textile sector.”

Raghav JhunjhunwalaAIR 4 · CSE 2025 · 270 wordsTheir whole copy

Opening · a figure

The Employment Elasticity of output (1% change in Empl. / 1% change in GDP) has reduced from over 2.8% pre-2005 to below 1% today.

Body · points

How Jobless Growth has become a reality today:

  1. Rising K/L (Capital-Labour) Ratio in our manufacturing process.

  2. Only highly skilled sectors are providing more quality employment. Ex: Automobiles.

  3. Increasing dominance of services sector which is less labour intensive services / GDP > 53% today

  4. Increasing casualization and high disguised unemployment in urban and rural areas today.

How Labour-Intensive Industries can help:

(1) Sectors like Textiles, Footwear, Food processing Industries comparatively employ more labour than capital.

(2) Thus, along with more machinery; they don't substitute their labourers; rather the factors are complementary.

How Export Intensive Industries can help

(1) major chunk of our exports are contributed by MSMEs (>45%) → MSMEs have the potential to [be] the employment generators.

(2) Focussing on relatively untapped sectors: Ex: Phone Assembly → which is being captured by smaller countries like Vietnam; esp. because of China+1 diversification.

What are the pertinent challenges [Textiles]

(1) The Recently announced labour Codes have not yet been implemented.

(2) Lesser policy support to labour intensive sectors Ex:

  • Footwear
  • Accessories of textiles, etc.

(3) High Geographic concentration esp. in western coast

(4) Increasing labour costs and competition from cheaper producers like Bangladesh, etc.

way Ahead (1) Govt. has created PM-MITRA parks: as multi-modal; state of the Art hubs; to improve Economies of Scale and more export-orientation.

(2) PLI scheme has been announced.

→ Thus, focussing on such labour & Export oriented sectors have multiple benefits of employment and improved Economic performance.

Close · a way forward

None written.

4 more toppers’ answers to this question, part by part, and how they all approached it: open the question.

Toppers’ answers to other close questions

Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Main) Examination 2017, General Studies Paper III, Q2. The paper on upsc.gov.in. Themes and links to toppers’ answers are by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.