Along with environment, job protection is a concern, says Kiren Rijiju

Union Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday said that protection of jobs in India is a concern while safeguarding the environment during economic progress.

The per capita GDP in India is still very less compared to other mid-level and developed nations, Rijiju said after inaugurating a seminar here.

"When we talk about growth of the economy, we only talk about protection of the environment. But we are also concerned about protection of jobs," he said.

Addressing the seminar on 'Environment and Sustainable Development - Role of Judiciary' and 'Digitisation of Indian Judiciary - its Impact in Dispensation of Justice', Rijiju said all stakeholders must come together to deliberate on the issues.

"Today, the per capita GDP of India is 2,100 dollars and it is very less, but India as a whole, when we calculate, it's close to a 3.23 trillion dollar economy. It is the fifth largest economy (in the world)," he said.

The international standard of development for "middle-level countries" is a per capita income of USD 12,000, the Union minister said in presence of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and senior Supreme Court and High Court judges.

"So, we have to reach the position of a middle-level country before attaining developed status. While climbing from 2,100 dollars to 12,000 dollars, you can imagine the impact on the environment and the growth which we would be embarking upon," he added.

Claiming that India is currently one of the fastest-growing economies in the world despite the global impact of the pandemic, Rijiju said the country has never seen such a growth rate in its history.

"India is not a mineral-rich nation, especially in the oil and gas sectors, as we import these," he said, adding that the role of the judiciary is going to be extremely crucial in the growth and development of India.

The seminar was jointly organised by the Gauhati High Court and the Assam government.