17-May-2025 12:00 PM
India Approves 6th Semiconductor Unit in Uttar Pradesh: Boosting Digital Independence
The Indian government has approved the 6th semiconductor unit under the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM). This major development will see a new plant established in Uttar Pradesh, near Jewar Airport under the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) region.
This new unit is a joint venture between HCL and Foxconn, two major players in the tech and electronics manufacturing world. The plant is designed to manufacture display driver chips, a critical component in devices with screens — from smartphones and laptops to cars and televisions.
The approved semiconductor plant will have a monthly design output capacity of 36 million units. This initiative supports India’s goal of becoming a global semiconductor hub by reducing import dependence and creating a self-reliant tech manufacturing ecosystem.
The core objective is to develop India’s capabilities in semiconductor design, manufacturing, packaging, and testing — making India not just an assembly hub, but a powerhouse in the entire semiconductor value chain.
Strengthen domestic semiconductor manufacturing
Promote indigenous chip design
Encourage collaboration between industry, academia, and R&D institutions
Boost employment and skill development
Attract foreign and domestic investments
Accelerate innovation in semiconductor technology
IC Design & Fabrication
Semiconductor Packaging & Assembly
Device Testing & Validation
Advanced Materials & Processing
Design Automation Tools
Human Resource & Skill Development
This initiative is more than just industrial expansion — it’s a step toward digital sovereignty. Semiconductors are the brains of modern electronics, and controlling their supply chain is critical for national security, economic stability, and technological growth.
A strong semiconductor base:
Reduces import bills
Creates high-value jobs
Supports sectors like defence, telecom, healthcare, and automobiles
Strengthens Make in India & Atmanirbhar Bharat vision
The Semicon India Programme, launched with an outlay of ₹76,000 crore, is the umbrella initiative under which the ISM operates. It provides financial incentives to encourage semiconductor and display manufacturing in India.
Modified Scheme for Semiconductor Fabs: 50% fiscal support for Silicon CMOS-based fabs
Modified Scheme for Display Fabs: 50% support for display manufacturing
Design Linked Incentive (DLI):
50% of eligible R&D costs (up to ₹15 crore)
4–6% incentive on net sales (up to ₹30 crore)
Scheme for Compound Semiconductors & ATMP (Assembly, Testing, Marking, Packaging): 50% project cost support
A. Promote solar energy use
B. Develop India’s semiconductor ecosystem
C. Increase mobile data speed
D. Promote textile exports
✅ Answer: B
A. Reliance and Wipro
B. Infosys and TCS
C. HCL and Foxconn
D. Google and IBM
✅ Answer: C
A. 10 million units/year
B. 36 million units/month
C. 5 billion chips/day
D. 100 million units/year
✅ Answer: B
A. Make in India
B. Skill India
C. Digital India Corporation
D. Semicon India Programme
✅ Answer: D
17-May-2025 12:00 PM
Big Reforms Ahead: India’s Labour Survey Gets a 2025 Makeover
Beginning January 2025, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), through the National Statistical Office (NSO), is introducing major changes to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) — India’s key source of employment and unemployment data.
These changes aim to improve the accuracy, timeliness, and district-level representation of labour market indicators, helping policymakers make better, data-driven decisions.
India’s workforce is large, diverse, and constantly evolving. However, the existing PLFS format had limitations in providing frequent and detailed insights. With this revamp, the government is trying to align India’s labour data collection with global best practices and provide a clearer picture of the job market.
For the first time, monthly estimates of three major labour indicators will be published at the national level:
Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR)
Worker Population Ratio (WPR)
Unemployment Rate (UR)
These will follow the Current Weekly Status (CWS) method, which measures employment status based on a 7-day recall period. This change will allow for timely policy interventions, especially during sudden
disruptions like pandemics or economic shocks.
Previously, quarterly labour data was limited to urban areas. Now, from 2025 onward, quarterly employment data will cover both rural and urban regions, providing a holistic national picture every three months. This is especially crucial in a country where over 65% of the population resides in rural areas.
Annual PLFS reports will now follow the calendar year format (January–December) instead of the earlier system based on mid-year cycles. This makes data analysis and comparisons more streamlined and globally comparable.
The survey will now include 12 households per First Stage Unit (FSU), resulting in a total sample of about 2.72 lakh households—a 2.65x increase from the earlier size. A larger sample ensures greater accuracy and reliability, especially for smaller geographies and demographic groups.
Another big change is making districts the basic geographical unit (called the basic stratum) within each state or UT. This ensures that data is collected from most districts, vastly improving the representativeness of the PLFS results. In a country as diverse as India, this change brings much-needed granularity to national labour statistics.
These reforms are a major step in making India’s labour market data smarter, faster, and more useful. With better representation, more frequent estimates, and a larger sample size, government and private stakeholders can:
Respond faster to unemployment challenges
Design better employment schemes
Understand rural vs. urban employment dynamics
Target skill development programs more effectively
A. 2023
B. 2024
C. 2025
D. 2026
✅Answer: C
A. District-level GDP
B. Labour indicators like LFPR, WPR, and UR
C. Agricultural prices
D. Industrial growth estimates
✅Answer: B
A. Villages are now excluded
B. States are no longer sampled
C. Districts are now the basic sampling unit
D. Only urban areas are included
✅Answer: C
A. To reduce cost
B. To improve global rankings
C. To ensure better accuracy of labour market data
D. To study international labour trends
✅Answer: C
![pib] Changes in Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) from 2025 - Civilsdaily](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcCXIq_rtpDv6qKzd5DAG9mOxiMGLU5GbZ18Oicfus2sgXzxi99YSy7_q0vBp7mvrJEg_Ei93xNS1eSk7CyMawOZjZ9YDlsJhWzrtWzl6X1cPhFLUVNhxYbok-XJWqsN2W5LoWHJoyeE9roxW8rcVo?key=wctLauddDCdBadXAbRyLOA)
