By Harsha Bothra
Do we really need government jobs? There is always a leaning gesture towards the government sector on the younger generation India which is still continues. The youth of India, from both small and large areas, increasingly seeks government employment. The question arises, why does the younger generation primarily prefer government jobs? The answer is complex. First, whether they come from financially disadvantaged or stable backgrounds, the youth seeks lifelong job security. While the government offers lower salaries, it provides other benefits include health insurance, retirement plans, and paid leave, contributing to a financially secure and comfortable lifestyle. This generation is fixated on securing government jobs.
Secondly, what motivates young people to pursue careers in the government sector? A major factor is the overwhelming presence of coaching institutes in virtually every Indian city, frequently exceeding the number of local residents. These coaching centres shape students’ perspectives, leading them to focus solely on government employment. There should be limits on the number of coaching centers, and they ought to encourage students to have a backup plan in case of setbacks.
It is perfectly acceptable to choose a career in the government sector, but under certain conditions. The applicants are not motivated by desire to influence policy but rather to ensure their personal security. A significant amount of money is spent by both state and central governments on these exams, which becomes a waste when exam papers are compromised or when proxy candidates obtain jobs, as seen in Rajasthan and other states of India. The number applicants often reaches in the lakhs for just a few available positions.
When candidates do not succeed in securing a job, some tragically resort to end their lives, others find themselves lost and unemployed, while some persistently avoid exploring opportunities in different areas, continuing to try until they exhaust all attempts.
It is crucial to implement necessary measures to involve the youth in technology, science, innovation, and many other aspects, which are essential for today’s generation and growth of the country. To achieve this, the government must redirect the attention of young people to focus on different perspectives.
To strengthen the recruitment process, the testing processes for government positions should be changed, like in Europe and America, the process for government employment involves identifying job openings on official portals, tailoring applications to specific requirements and potentially undergoing assessment and interviews. In Asian countries like China, Japan and South Korea the process for government employment involves application, document verification and potentially an interview or examination, not all positions required examinations. Only specific government employment require examinations.
In India, the examination process is implemented by state governments for all positions across various departments, prompted the government to adopt Aa comprehensive strategy to conduct examinations fairly, which involves significant resources such as paper supply, arranging examination centers, assigning teacher duties, transporting students in large numbers to the venues, and considerable expenses incurred solely for the examination process. Rather than relying on this method, an alternative approach used in several European and Asian countries could be adopted, which would include online applications, document verification, and walk-in interviews for more effective candidate assessment.