Abstract:
Decent work is one of the fundamental dimensions of the quality of life, as a
large part of our lifetime is spent on working. Besides, this gives a sense of fulfilment and
dignity. Apart from this, according to International Labour Organization, decent work is
central to sustainable poverty reduction and is a means for achieving equitable, inclusive
and sustainable development. This article is an attempt to measure the extent of decent
work in India with the help of certain dimensions and indicators developed by International
Labour Organization on decent work. It is based on Government of India’s published data
mainly on four quinquennial rounds: 1993–94, 1999–2000, 2004–05 and 2009–10. This
article fundamentally suggests that there is a deficit in decent work in India, and over time,
this deficit is increasing. Apart from this, there exist rural-urban gaps as well as gender
gaps and most of these gaps are increasing over time. Besides, the condition of even the
regular salaried/wage workers seems to be poor in terms of social security benefits and the
freedom of association. It is also found out that though the growth in the service sectors
and the organised manufacturing sectors may contribute to the quantity of employment,
but from the perspectives of quality like social security and social dialogue of the regular
salaried/wage workers, it seems to have negative and significant effect. This article finds
out that growth may not be sufficient to ensure quality of employment in genera
