India committed to achieve inclusive growth: Dattatreya

Says the country is one of the fastest growing nations of the world

India is committed to secure an inclusive growth, leading to sustainable development and usher in a governance of transparency and accountability, Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya has said.

"Government is committed to usher in a governance of transparency and accountability. We are fully committed to securing inclusive growth, leading to sustainable development," the minister said while speaking at the 104th session of International Labour Conference 2015 in Geneva last week.

According to a press statement, Dattatreya said, "India is one of the fastest growing nations of the world. We have one of the biggest domestic markets and demand in the country. We have the largest youth population. 58 per cent of our population is under the age of 29 years."

He added that the earlier Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of less than 5 per cent has now reached 7.4 per cent in one year (of NDA government's term).

He assured that the government is committed to protect and safeguard the interests of workers and uphold the dignity of labour.

Financial inclusion and social security cover for everyone are the top priorities for the government, especially for the vulnerable class of workers, he added.

The minister talked about Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) - the biggest financial inclusion initiative in the world under which 14 crore accounts have been opened with benefits of accidental insurance and life insurance.

He said that both India and ILO share a commitment for inclusive growth and job creation and expressed hope that the ties with ILO will be strengthened further.

Elaborating about the various initiatives taken by Modi government like Make in India, Skill India, Digital India and Smart Cities, he said it is a "unique endeavour to encourage domestic industry and attract large scale global investment. We look at Make in India as a unique opportunity for job creation for our youth."

The minister told the gathering that the government is brining a bill in Parliament for complete ban on employment of children below 14 years.

"More than 1 million working children have been mainstreamed to regular education system under the NCLP scheme as on December, 2014," he added.

Dattatreya said, "India believes that poverty eradication and job creation are primary objectives to achieve inclusive growth under the ambit of Sustainable Development Goals in United Nations Framework.