New Delhi: There were over 4.07 crore-job seekers on the live register of employment exchanges as on September 30, 2004 and there is no proposal to provide unemployment allowance to the educated unemployed youth mainly on account of resource constraints, the Rajya Sabha was informed today (Dec 16, 2004).

The Educational level wise distribution of jobseekers, who are not necessarily unemployed, on the live register of Employment Exchanges as on December 31, 2002 showed there were over 51.10 lakh post graduates and graduates, over 77 lakh 10+2 passed and over 1.68 crore matric passed, Labour Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao said in a written reply.

Minimum Wages: With a view to bring uniformity in the minimum wages throughout the country, the Central Government has floated the concept of national floor level minimum wage, which though non-statutory, acts like a benchmark, he said.

ITIs: The Central Government would provide assistance to the State/ Union Territory Governments to upgrade 500 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) in a phased manner, the Minister said.

So far, proposals for upgradation of 265 ITIs have been received from the State/UT Governments and a centrally sponsored scheme has been taken up for upgradation of 100 it is in the first phase.