Explain the measures taken by the government to reduce unemployment.

The measures taken by the government of India to reduce unemployment are as follows: 

General measures to reduce unemployment:

• Development of agricultural sector
• Provision for an alternative occupation 
• Development of infrastructure 
• Reforms in the educational system 
• Development of tourism 
• Use of labor-intensive techniques 
• Development of information technology and communication 
• Provision for vocational training and skill development facilities
• Rural industrialization 
• Motivation for self-employment.

Specific measures are undertaken by the government to generate employment opportunities:

Employment Guarantee Scheme (EGS): This Scheme was introduced on 28th March 1972. This scheme was introduced by Maharashtra Government in 1972-73. Under this scheme, work is provided to the registered job-seekers in rural areas within 15 days from the date of registration. This scheme was for unskilled manual labors above 18 years. Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY): This scheme was launched in April 1999 after restructuring the Integrated Rural Developmental Programmer (IRDP) and allied schemes. It’s the only self-employment scheme for the rural poor in India.

Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY): This scheme was launched in December 1997, It provides gainful employment to the urban unemployed and underemployed. It includes self-employment, women self-employment programme, skill training for employment programme, for this scheme Central Government shares 75% of the cost and State Government shares 25% of the cost.

Pradhan Mantri Rozgar Yojana (PMRY): This scheme is being implemented since 1993 to create and provide sustainable self-employment opportunities to more than one million educated unemployed youth.

Training Rural Youth for Self-employment (TRYSEM): It was initiated in 1979 with the objective of tackling the unemployment problem among rural youth. It aimed at training about 2 lakh rural youth every year to enable them to become self-employed.

Besides the above measures, there are many other specific measures undertaken by the government. They can be named as: 

• Jawahar Rozgar Yojana (JRY) 
• Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)
• Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana 2014 
• National Policy for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship – 2015 
• Startup India Initiative
• Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana – (2016-20)