Government Jobs: ‘We gave PM Modi 2 terms but received lathi in return’

By Sheena Sachdeva & Sanjay

KANPUR, SULTANPUR: Vipin Kumar Maurya, 27, earned a BSc from a Pratapgarh college in 2019. Despite being a graduate, he worked as a peon – a Group-D government job requiring no more than school education – for close to four years at the Pratapgarh Session Court. He had no choice.

“Those with no liabilities can afford to not apply for Group D jobs,” he said. “But I come from a lower-middle class family. I wanted to first secure a job to fund my tuition fees for government job preparation.” Maurya comes from a farming family in Pratapgarh and is a first-generation learner; waiting for a job more befitting his qualifications was not an option. “I was preparing for government jobs. The vacancies of peons were advertised by Allahabad High Court. I filled the application form and cleared the exam. I got posted in my own district and hence I did the job,” he explained. It was a Level-1 job; Maurya aimed for level-7 – for graduates – and spent his Rs 20,000 monthly salary on preparation for the Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level (SSC CGL) exam .

But in April, 2021, the Uttar Pradesh government started recruitment for UP Sub-Inspector (UP-SI) posts. He cleared the exam and joined UP Police in March, 2023. This is a level-6 job and fetches him Rs 52,000 per month. He is now investing some of that into further preparation; qualifying the SSC CGL will get him a level-7 job with a corresponding salary of about Rs 80,000.

Lakhs of Indian youth spend years preparing for recruitment exams for government jobs with many, like Maurya, accepting the first one that comes along even if they are overqualified. Shortage of jobs and low salaries in the private sector, lack of job security and in many cases, benefits, push them to try – and keep trying – for government jobs.

Graduates and postgraduates routinely apply for Group-D jobs, to work as peons, sweepers, cleaners, gatekeepers. “Out of compulsion, students are forced to apply for any job that comes their way during preparation,” said Ashok who teaches at Sultanpur’s Lakshya Coaching Classes. “Even the group-D employees like sweeper, peons and others earn Rs 30,000 per month – more than in many private jobs. Plus, there are many other benefits like medical and house rent allowance.”

Shivam Yadav’s is a case in point. Now 26, he earned a Bachelors in Business Administration (BBA) from Institute of Management Studies, Noida, in 2018. Upon graduating, he worked a private-sector job that fetched him Rs 16,500 per month. “My expense on living in Noida was exceeding my salary. I quit in 2020 and started preparing for UP government jobs when UP Police Sub Inspector jobs were advertised in 2021,” said Yadav, originally from UP’s Azamgarh. He was unable to clear and now works as a sales executive in Pune. “Like other youth from my hometown, I would have wasted years in preparing for government jobs,” he said.

The lack of quality private-sector jobs, shrinking opportunities in the government sector and frequent paper leaks have together caused enough frustration and disappointment to become an issue for young voters in the seven-phase Lok Sabha election which began on April 19. The polling in the last phase is on June 2.

Yadav won’t go home to vote but believes “all parties should talk about how they will create job opportunities”. The election manifestos, at least, do. On April 14, the prime minister Narendra Modi said if reelected, his government will focus on creating jobs in infrastructure, aviation, railways, electric vehicles, green energy, semiconductors and pharmaceuticals, among others. The Congress manifesto focuses on skilling and employment generation. It also promises to publish a job calendar for each department, institution and public body with details of vacancies and timelines to fill them.

Also read Bill in Lok Sabha to check paper leaks, use of unfair means in government recruitment exams

Craze for government jobs

According to the India Employment Report 2024 published by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and Institute for Human Development, the labour force participation rate (LFPR) in India for individuals aged 15 years and older "was 55.2 percent in 2022, which was lower than the world average of 59.8 percent". It “consistently declined” from 2000 to 2019, from 61.6% to 50.2%.

The labour force grew by 99.2 million persons but the workforce growth did not keep pace "resulting in substantial rise in open unemployment". Between 2012 and 2019, "employment generation was virtually negligible", says the report. That said, the workforce grew between 2019 and 2022.

To put this simply, there were not enough jobs available. Additionally, salaries have remained stagnant. “Over the past decade, the average monthly real earnings of regular salaried and self-employed persons either declined or remained stable," says the report. For those in regular jobs, real earnings (as per 2012 prices) dropped from Rs 12,100 in 2012 to Rs 10,925 in 2022.

Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have the largest shares of youth India's population and are expected to maintain that in 2036. By then, UP will have 18.8% of the youth population; Bihar, 11%; Madhya Pradesh 7% and Rajasthan 6.4%.

These and four others – Jharkhand, Assam, Odisha and West Bengal – also had the largest share of youths “not in employment, education or training”, in 2022.

The report also notes the increasing mismatch between the levels of qualification and occupation. In 2022, 58.4% of graduate and 33.1% of postgraduate males were engaged in "low-skill and occupation" jobs. Overall, 52.8% – more than half – of graduates were engaged in low-skill jobs by 2022. The standard of jobs for degree holders was better in 2005 and 2019.

This dismal situation, experienced through difficulties in finding employment and low pay, has thousands of young people seeking employment in government service.

Neeraj Kushwaha, owner of Target Coaching Center in Agra, Uttar Pradesh said: “Unemployment is so high that everyone wants a government job, whether it is level-1 or level-7.”

Also read Why Bihar’s agricultural engineers have 0.001% chance of landing government jobs

Sarkari job and security

Shailendra Kumar, 24 and from Kanpur-Dehat has been preparing for government jobs since 2019 when he earned a diploma in electrical engineering. “I got a job of Rs 22,000 in a company in Chennai after my diploma but the country was hit by Covid. I was pushed to pursue government jobs due to the security they provide,” he explained.

But even that requires resources. Kumar came to Kanpur City in 2022 to prepare and now works part-time at the coaching centre to cover costs. “Most aspirants who come here can't afford the coaching fees and have to do multiple jobs,” he said.

Vikram Singh who has been teaching for eight years at Mahendra Coaching Classes, Kanpur, said the majority of youth who prepare for ‘sarkari naukri’ come from poor backgrounds and villages and are either first-generation learners or sole breadwinners. “In private [sector] there is no job security. So, whosoever comes for preparation applies for each and every exam that comes. We have students who are BTech, MBA but still apply for SSC CHSL [SSC Combined Higher Secondary Level] and Multi Tasking Staff (MTS) jobs,” he added. SSC CHSL requires Class 12 education; MTS, till Class 10.

Shivkumar Chauhan, 27, from UP’s Sultanpur obtained a BCom degree from Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University, Ayodhya, in 2018. Unable to get any job in the private sector, he is currently pursuing a course at a private Industrial Training Course (ITI) and hoping for a Group-D job in the Indian Railways.

“After graduation, I tried multiple places like accounting training in Delhi or assisting a CA in Sultanpur at a meagre stipend of Rs 5,000 per month, but could not get any decent private job. I am preparing for Group-D jobs because of the large number of vacancies and I might be able to clear the exam,” he said.

Since 2019, Chauhan has voted for the Samajwadi Party and will continue to. “Akhilesh Yadav [the SP leader] regularly talks about youth and employment. He has provided government jobs to lakhs of youth when he was chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. A BJP government, in state and centre, doesn't advertise vacancies on time and when it conducts exams, papers get leaked,” he said. The SP is part of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA bloc). Sultanpur votes on May 25.

Kumar wrote the examination for the UP Police Constable recruitment – government jobs after 12th – but the papers were leaked in February, 2024.

Also read UP Police Constable exam 2024 cancelled after paper leak allegation; re-exam in 6 months

Government Jobs 2024: Paper leaks

Uttar Pradesh announced 60,244 UP Police Constable vacancies, government jobs after 10th and 12th, in December 2023. The exam was to be conducted by the Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment and Promotion Board (UPPBPB). A staggering 50 lakh aspirants filled the form. “This includes people from other states as well. The sad part is that many aspirants after preparing day and night within a month, were informed after the exams held on February 16 and 17 in 2024 that due to paper leaks, a re-examination will be held after six months. This happens in every government job exam in UP,” stated Vikram Singh of Mahendra Coaching Centre, Kanpur.

The Railway Recruitment Board announced 5,696 vacancies for assistant loco pilots, a Grade-III job with salary of Rs 19,900. The minimum eligibility requirement is Class 12. This recruitment session came after a gap of five years. “While the number of trains is increasing, the number of vacancies has decreased over the years,” commented Singh.

But again, the question papers leaked. Such is the prevalence and frequency of leaks and cheating that the union government in February, 2024, drafted a federal law to control it. Despite this, youths blame the BJP governments at the centre and state for failing to stop and later, manage the leaks. “The central or state government hasn't taken any effort to ensure the papers are held without leaks. This is the government's fault. We want any other party to come but not BJP,” said Ankit Chauhan, 25 and from Kanpur Dehat. He’s been preparing for SSC- Central Police Organisation for the last three years.

The crushing disappointment caused by paper leaks and the absence of viable alternatives have wreaked havoc on the lives of job-seekers. Soon after the UPSSC papers leaked, a 28 year-old died by suicide in Kannauj, reported NDTV and a 22 year-old woman took her own life, reported India Today.

Also read Over 13,000 student suicide deaths in one year: NCRB Report 2023

The lack of a proper calendar of jobs, paper leaks and lack of support from the government have shifted the faith in the current government, said Kumar. “Majority of students who are preparing for these jobs are not satisfied with the current government,” said Kumar. When aspirants protested, no one listened, he alleged. “We gave time to the Modi government for two long tenures but all we have received is lathi and no support.”

Areeb Nomani, 24, from UP’s Mau district obtained a BCom degree from Delhi University’s Zakir Husain College in 2020. After graduation, he has been preparing for government jobs. “I was told by family members, relatives and friends that I would lead a good life and I will have a good stature in society if I secure a government job. I have given SSC CGL in 2022 and 2023 but I could not clear the tier-2 exam. I am not preparing for UP government jobs due to the paper leaks and erratic exam calendar,” he said. Nomani plans to vote for SP too and echoing Chauhan said: “Akhilesh Yadav has been regularly raising the issue of employment for youth. He raised the issues of paper leaks in Uttar Pradesh.” Mau votes on June 2, the last phase of the election.

Also read ‘Treated as losers’: Teacher recruitment delays make youths wait years for jobs, marriage, independence

Agnipath scheme

One coveted set of jobs is now off the table altogether. Armed forces recruitment was popular with youth straight out of school. But with the introduction of the Agnipath scheme – under which there are temporary appointments of ‘Agniveer’– that trend has shifted.

“Earlier many students were able to crack armed forces exams easily. We had classes of around 2,000 students preparing for these exams just after 12th. But now that the Agnipath scheme offers only four years of service, it is no longer an attractive government job,” added Singh. Now, only three-four students come for armed forces preparation, he added. The Congress promises to scrap the Agnipath Scheme and resume regular hiring if voted to power. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said the government is "open" to bring any change in Agnipath Scheme "if required".

The skill gap

The quality of education at many state-level institutions is also sub-par, leaving graduates further disadvantaged in an already grim situation. Most leave college unable to communicate effectively and with poor language skills, especially in English.

“We teach around 5,000 students a year and selection depends upon vacancies advertised by the government agencies. Most of the students communicate in Hindi. Students in Sultanpur and nearby districts do BA, BSc and BCom but it is almost impossible for them to secure private jobs due to lack of skills. It is not the fault of students that they do not have required skills. There is no environment here in schools and colleges of Sultanpur which can impart skills among students. In such a situation, it is better to secure a government job for a good life,” said Dishant, manager, Lakshay Classes in Sultanpur.

Ankit Chauhan, who graduated from Kanpur University with a BA, held much the same opinion. “Many aspirants who come from a farming family don’t have money for professional courses. These families think that if we invest Rs 50,000 on their child for the government job, at least they will have secured life. There are no jobs after BA or BSc, especially after graduating from Kanpur University,” he said.