Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Friday, 11 July 2025

Labour Ministry inks MoU

 Labour Ministry inks MoU with jobs portal APNA

Extract from the article:
The Ministry of Labour & Employment recently inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with APNA, a prominent digital platform for blue-collar job seekers, to integrate additional employment opportunities into the National Career Service (NCS) portal. This collaboration aims to channel approximately 10 lakh new job vacancies annually into the official government portal, thereby substantially enhancing the prospects for millions of job aspirants across India’s diverse labor markets. By leveraging APNA’s extensive reach in the informal and unorganised employment sectors, the Ministry endeavors to bring more inclusivity and accessibility to job search processes, particularly addressing the gap between job demand and supply.

This initiative is positioned as a strategic move to modernize India’s employment ecosystem by combining governmental infrastructure with private-sector technological innovation. It not only elevates employment visibility but also ensures quality matching through data-driven mechanisms. Furthermore, this partnership underlines the evolving dynamics of political will aligning with digital platforms to tackle unemployment challenges pragmatically, reconfiguring traditional nomination and recruitment pathways with a more participatory and expansive approach.

My Take:

A. Economy standstill
Reflecting on my earlier thoughts from this blog, I had dissected the delicate balance between demand and supply in economic activities, especially how labor markets function under constraints such as low consumer purchasing power and limited workforce mobilization. The collaboration between the Ministry and APNA embodies this balance, addressing the "no money to buy goods" by enabling employment, simultaneously fueling demand through wage generation. This dynamic is critical—I had highlighted how the economy limps when buyers and workers are mismatched. The current initiative, by connecting millions of job seekers to authentic opportunities, could indeed prevent the stagnation I anticipated. It signals progress from an economy in limbo toward one in full swing, leveraging organized digital platforms to invigorate labor participation.

The challenge I detailed earlier about stocks piling up due to inadequate worker engagement and demand finds a parallel here in labor market inefficiencies. This MoU is a decisive step toward mitigating such inertia by injecting vitality in the employment supply chain. In essence, the Ministry’s strategy resonates deeply with my past observations on the symbiotic relationship between consumer capacity and wage employment—only here, empowered through digital integration.

B. Rethinking Future: Alvin and Heidi Toffler
Years ago, I anticipated the transformative potential of new media and digital platforms for employment, drawing upon Alvin Toffler’s vision of a knowledge-based future wherein ‘images’ or information becomes currency. The current MoU with APNA exemplifies this prophecy by using a tech-driven conduit to catalyze job creation and placement. I had predicted that India’s journey towards millions being digitally connected for work was inevitable, and this partnership strongly supports that trajectory.

Moreover, this aligns with the idea I shared about India fastening its position on the global employment map by bridging the gap between traditional job markets and emerging digital ecosystems. The project’s scale—10 lakh jobs funneled through NCS annually—demonstrates a tangible reflection of those futuristic employment models I espoused. It confirms my earlier view that such integrative platforms would redefine recruitment nomenclature and deliver democratised access to work.

C. RELENTLESS is the word
In that blog, I emphasized the need for persistent policy innovation, particularly highlighting tax incentives targeting MSMEs and startups to boost job creation. The Ministry’s move to partner with APNA complements this relentless pursuit by focusing not only on policy but also on execution through partnerships. This MoU could be seen as real-world enactment of policies I advocated: pragmatic collaborations that support job growth and workforce empowerment.

I had long urged government agencies and stakeholders to harness technology and regulatory measures synergistically. This initiative is a manifestation of that very synergy—mobilising digital infrastructure to channel new opportunities while addressing unemployment’s multi-layered challenges. Such relentless focus on actionable solutions rather than rhetoric is exactly what I had championed, and the present scenario resonates deeply with those prior calls for steadfast progress.

Call to Action:
To the Ministry of Labour & Employment, I commend this progressive leap towards integrating private digital platforms with governmental employment schemes. To further amplify impact, I urge a relentless commitment to continuous refinement of these collaborations with feedback loops from job seekers and employers alike. Equally, I call upon state governments and industry bodies to actively promote and support this initiative at the grassroots level. Together, we can ensure that millions of Indians do not just view employment as a hope but find it as an accessible and reliable reality through the NCS portal enhanced by APNA’s vibrant ecosystem.

With regards, 

Hemen Parekh

www.My-Teacher.in

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