ADVERSE IMPACT OF GLOBALIZATION
ON INDIAN ECONOMY AND SOCIETY FREE ARTICLE FOR UPSC
As much as there have been numerous economic gains attached to globalization in India, there are also disadvantages. The rapid growth of Industries due to globalization has not brought About benefits for everyone. There are various sectors that this growth has further aggravated the conditions of particular groups within the Indian society. Globalization has brought about rapid growth in the informal sector which has resulted in undesirable impacts on the working population. As much as it has led to the creation of jobs for many individuals, globalization is also contributing to the suffering of people within the informal sector. It is important to note that the informal sector is deliberately not included in the labor legislation. For instance, informal workers are not subject to the 1948 Factories Act which covers the general working conditions, working hours, safety and health, prohibition of child labor, basic amenities among other things.
With globalization finding its way into India, it is clear that its consequences have been undesirable for workers in the informal sector. Globalization has resulted in poor health, deplorable working conditions and bondage. Employers have been able to impose working conditions that are extremely hazardous due to chronic insecurity among worker. For instance, the construction industry which is the second largest employer in Indian has not taken into consideration the working conditions of its employers. The employers are not concerned about the hazards involved. The proportion of fatal accidents is very high with some of the causes of serious injuries and deaths being crushes under collapsing structures, electrocution, and being buried under mud . As such, the plight of workers Under globalization has been miserable. The fish processing industry also expresses the grave consequences of globalization. The migrant women who work in this industry are subjected deplorable work conditions. They are virtually captives, forced to work in unhygienic conditions for long hours deprived of minimum wages, and subjected to various kinds of coercion including being sexually harassed. The negative impact of globalization is also felt in the Indian agricultural sector. A great number of laborers in this sector come from the 'Scheduled Castes and Tribes'. In other words, they are from communities that are most exploited economically and oppressed socially under the caste system. The plight of this population has been worsened by globalization owing to the need to increase production to meet the growing demand from the global markets. As such, globalization has resulted in increased poverty and difficulties among particular populations in the Indian society. It has led to forced labour since employers are using crude methods to enforce bondage on the workers. All this is done with the aim of increasing production while at the same time cutting costs. Human beings have been turned into machines simply because of the need to increase profits and be competitive in the global market. This form of 'slavery' is especially rampant in the rural regions even though not exclusive to it. The export production has also seen an increase in child labour since liberalization. More children have been forced to work in industries even though it is clear that children are not supposed to work. It is only in India where children are forced to work for long hours and under deplorable conditions even though there are legislations that are meant to protect children from any form of labour. From the above mentioned cases, it is clear that as much as globalization has resulted in economic gains for India, the people who work in the industries are wallowing in extreme poverty apart from being subjected to deplorable working conditions. As such, it may be argued that globalization has only resulted in gains for the rich industrialists and multinationals while the bulk of the population is languishing in poverty. What it has done is to increase the gap between the rich and the poor to levels that cannot be imagined. From this perspective, globalization has worsened the conditions of individuals who are at the bottom of the social ladder. On a broader perspective, globalization has led to low-income groups being increasingly undernourished due to the failure not only to create more jobs but also to improve the working conditions for this population.
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