Answer

India’s international labour mobility is crucial for its economy, contributing over $120 billion in remittances annually (World Bank, 2023). However, the fragmented policy architecture marked by overlapping mandates and regional inconsistencies hinders efficiency and protection of migrant workers. Recent concerns, such as irregular migration to the Gulf, highlight the urgent need for a cohesive and inclusive policy framework.

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Challenges of Fragmented Policy Architecture

• Inadequate Migration Data: Lack of comprehensive data limits understanding of migration trends and skill needs, hindering evidence-based policy interventions.
  For example: Emigration clearance data only tracks low-skilled workers in 18 countries, excluding skilled professionals migrating to diverse global markets.
• Uncoordinated Bilateral Agreements: Agreements on mobility lack coherence, resulting in scattered efforts without a unified strategy for global skill demands.
  For example: Pacts like India-Saudi Arabia agreements focus on worker welfare but miss long-term skill alignment with market requirements.
• Insufficient Skill Certification Systems: Weak certification frameworks fail to ensure global recognition of Indian skills in key markets.
  For example: Workers trained under Indian schemes face difficulties when their qualifications are unrecognized in North American countries
• Neglect of Skill Forecasting: India lacks mechanisms to predict emerging global skill demands, leading to mismatched skill supply.
  For example: Unlike Europe’s Cedefop, India has no institution to analyze real-time global job market trends systematically.
• Underutilization of Return Migrants: Skills acquired abroad are rarely utilized due to absence of formal reintegration programs.
  For example: Returnees from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries with specialized construction experience often remain unemployed or underemployed in India.

Measures To Address These Challenges And Creating A Comprehensive Policy Framework

• Unified Policy Framework: Formulate a comprehensive national policy on international labour migration with skill-centric mobility as a core pillar.
  For example: Developing a National Skill Mobility Mission to consolidate bilateral agreements under a single umbrella.
• Skill Mapping and Forecasting: Anticipate and align India’s skill development efforts with global skill needs by leveraging big data analytics and forecasting tools.
  For example: Using platforms like LinkedIn Economic Graph to analyse real-time job vacancies in Canada and the U.S.
• Curriculum Alignment: Reorient skill programs in line with the qualification frameworks of destination countries to meet global standards.
  For example: National Skills Qualification Framework can be updated to reflect competency requirements in the EU and Gulf nations.
• Global Skill Partnerships: Collaborate with key destination countries on skill partnerships for targeted training and labour mobility.
  For example: Developing customised skill programs in healthcare and IT sectors with Germany and Japan.
• Integrated Information System: Create a labour migration information platform to track data on skills, trends, and outcomes for better policymaking.
  For example: India can adopt a model like the European Mobility Scoreboard for tracking migration trends and outcomes.

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A unified, inclusive framework must be developed, emphasizing inter-agency coordination, streamlined processes, and robust data systems. Futuristically, leveraging technology and bilateral agreements can enhance worker protection, skill recognition, and employability, ensuring India becomes a global leader in promoting secure and equitable labor mobility.

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