In a shocking incident a 16-year-old male student, a student of class X in a government school ended his life at Pal-Sattari. It is understood that the student was allegedly disturbed over the fact that his mobile phone, given by his father, had developed a problem and that his parents had expressed financial difficulty in repairing it. It is also understood that the boy’s father works as a bus driver but is presently jobless due to the pandemic.
This summarizes the financial difficulties people are facing having lost their jobs or are unemployed due to the pandemic. It is pertinent to note that though unemployment is a synonym of joblessness there is a difference between the two. While joblessness is a state of being jobless after having lost a job, unemployment is a state of having no job. Due to the pandemic the state is facing the dual problem of unemployment and joblessness.
It is understood that there are over a lakh individuals registered with the state employment exchange. However these numbers of the unemployed does not include those who have lost their livelihood due to the pandemic including those who have come back from other countries or the ship after having lost their jobs. The only way out for these people is to be self-employed by starting their own business for which the government needs to provide all necessary assistance.
ADELMO FERNANDES, Vasco
