Job exchanges: Mandatory registration sought

A Parliamentary panel has suggested compulsory registration of job seekers in employment exchanges for receiving vacancy alerts and also unemployment allowance in states where it is paid.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour has also suggested that branches and centres of employment exchanges be opened in every district post office where pass-outs can register themselves easily.

"The committee strongly feels that making registration compulsory will be beneficial for the job seekers as it would not only enable them to get alerts about job opportunities once the exchanges are computerised, but also make them eligible for unemployment allowance in states where it is paid," the committee said in its report tabled in Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

Mandatory registration will also benefit the employment exchanges as their data about the unemployment situation in the country will be automatically updated and in turn boost the government's employment market information programme, it added.

"Alternatively possible, online registration may be explored wherein

the students appearing in the final examination may be given an option by their respective educational institutions to register themselves," it said.

While the employment exchanges are currently undergoing computerisation, the committee, headed by Hemanand Biswal, suggested that the government should assess the technical limitations of the exchanges computerised first before inter-linking them.

Out of 969 employment exchanges in the country, 467 have been computerised so far.

According to the committee report, the Labour and Employment Ministry had contended that making registration mandatory is 'likely to create lot of repercussions as it is against the spirit of article 10 of ILO convention 88 which India has ratified'.

Rejecting such views, the committee said, 'article 10 should be seen in positive light i.e all interested parties take all possible measures to encourage full use of employment service facilities'.

While suggesting compulsory registration, it also recommended the government to take 'proactive action' to revamp the functioning of the employment exchanges taking serious note of their 'deteriorating condition.'