Reshu Kumar

Silicosis or “patthar ki bimari” (disease of the stone) as said in the local language of Rajasthan, is a lung disease which is caused due to the inhalation of silica dust, mostly prevalent among people working in mining and quarrying sectors. It is incurable and fatal, yet preventable with certain dust control measures. It is a notified and compensable disease under the Mines Act, 1952; Factories Act, 1948 & Buildings and Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment & Conditions of Service) Act, 1996. (Sishodiya, 2022). The first cases of silicosis in India were reported by Sikand and Pumra in 1949, in their study they found that around 52.4% of stone cutters and around 12.5% of the stone breakers were suffering from silicosis. Presently, Rajasthan records the highest number of mining leases in the country which comprises 189 major, 15,245 minor and 17,688 quarry mining licenses across the state (GoR 2019); and majority of them comprise sandstone mining and are largely u...

India, a nation with an average age of 29 years, one of the youngest populations in the world, holds an edge to use its demographic dividend in favor of the national developmental goals, but it’s only possible when the youth workforce of India is equipped with the right skills across sectors. The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) highlights the youth unemployment in India to be around 10.2% in 2023-24 which is on paper lower than the global average which stands at around 13%, but the data itself doesn’t show the entire picture of the issue as the youth unemployment rate for graduates under age 25 remains at staggering 42.5% (State of Working India Report, 2023), and it isn’t the lack of jobs that is solely responsible. According to the India Skills Report, 2025, just 54.81% of Indian graduates are employable, which leaves a huge chunk of the young workforce either unemployed or involved in low-skilled informal jobs. At the same time, another report by the ILO marks the percentage...