Jharkhand & beyond
Unemployment is root of youth unrest. Filling govt vacancies, instead of giving freebies, is the solution
You can look at last month’s student protest in Delhi, and the ongoing protest in Ranchi, in isolation. Or, you can regard them as part of a continuum, reflecting growing youth angst. Hardly six months ago, young people were protesting against delayed recruitment for 2.8L govt posts in Karnataka, and the next “movement” could start spontaneously almost anywhere. That’s because conditions for discontent among students, or youth generally, prevail across the country.
The primary cause of this growing unrest is unemployment among the educated. India’s Gen Z population of 367mn is the largest in the world. It’s been producing 5mn graduates a year, and 40% of them are jobless at least till the age of 25. By age 29, the number falls to 20%, which only means that many take up whatever work they can find, in desperation. But also consider that 80% of India’s colleges are private now, so even an ordinary BA/ BCom/ BSc degree doesn’t come cheap. To have a sub-par job, or no job at all, after this is a poor return on investment.
Everything else – leaked entrance exams, rigged selection tests, delayed recruitment – only stokes the anger. The protest in Jharkhand, for example, is about irregularities in JPSC and JSSC exams. When steady jobs are scarce, and the state selects candidates via tests, the sanctity of such tests is paramount. How scarce are jobs in India? Early in 2024, 48L candidates applied for 60,000 constable posts in UP. The exam paper leaked, leading to an outpouring of public anger.
But why are good steady jobs scarce? One, private sector hasn’t been adding them at the required rate, and two, govts, both Centre and states, have been keeping sanctioned posts vacant. A 2022 report put the total number of govt vacancies around 60L, including 10L central posts.
Keeping posts vacant is both policy and necessity for cash-strapped govts. It’s seen as economising, therefore smart, but is neither. In Karnataka, for example, the biggest chunk of vacant govt positions is in school education and health. Hence, it’s trifling with the future. But why are states stinting on governance and human capital expenditure? Because their unconditional cash transfers – all the poll freebies – have worsened finances. So far, competitive populism has worked for politicians. But they’ll have to reconsider it now. If they keep splurging on freebies to win votes today, they’ll alienate unemployed Gen-Zers and lose votes tomorrow.
Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author’s own.
