Srinagar, A recent government survey has disclosed that Ladakh, in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, has an alarmingly high unemployment rate among graduates, ranking second after the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India. This figure stands in stark contrast to the claims of development by the Indian government in the region following constitutional changes.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by the Indian Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation revealed that over 26.5% of graduates in Ladakh are unemployed. This percentage significantly surpasses the national average of 13.4% in India. The data challenge the assertions of the Modi regime that the region has seen development after the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the territory into two union territories – Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

The PLFS data for the period 2022-23 indicated the lowest graduate unemployment rate in India was in Chandigarh at 5.6%, followed closely by New Delhi at 5.7%. In contrast, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands recorded the highest unemployment rate at 33%, with Ladakh following at 26.5%, and Andhra Pradesh at 24%.

Among the larger states, Rajasthan and Odisha reported high unemployment rates of 23.1% and 21.9%, respectively. The unemployment rate is defined as the percentage of unemployed individuals within the labor force. The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) initiated the Periodic Labour Force Survey in April 2017 to periodically gauge employment trends.