Unemployment: More than an operational problem.

‘The issue was unemployment. The concern was related to scarce job prospects. The discussion was about creation of new jobs and opportunities. The debate was to revolve around finding ways to engage growing population in some work, some creative and productive work according to their talent and caliber.’

But eventually the whole discourse has been confined to a rather irrelevant point, and interestingly the point is PAKODA. The reference of Pakoda was used by Mr. Prime Minister in an interview and then was picked up in political circles and by the intelligentsia. A faction has even started creating analogies like Pakoda Minister for PM. According to my understanding of the context, it was a mere symbolism by him to reflect the issue and the cry over the issue is greater than deserved. But then it is not limited to one section only. There is another group of people, who are trying to glorify the statement, relating it to self-employment and skill development, again more than deserved. Because even if we go by the thought that no job is less important, we will have to accept the fact that people sell Pakodas out of poverty and miseries and no politician can tell their children to sell pakoda, even Mr. Prime Minister doesn’t forget to mention that he was a Chai-Walah. Had it been some other politician, the same group would have wrecked havoc. But, today we can see the soot of hypocrisy engulfing their actions to unfathomable depths ignorance. There have been several instances where Congress President was trolled due to his statements. Above everything, it was one of the rare situations where a sitting Head of the Government had addressed such an important issue so lightly and that too in the world’s largest democracy; which has 60% of its population below 35 and a major bunch of which is unemployed.

Unemployment undoubtedly has been the largest socio-political issue in independent India, particularly in past two decades and has kept on increasing its effect at an exponential rate. Job-creation has in industries and services has seen a declining growth and ironically existing posts are being cut particularly in government sector Recently union government has asked for report to end 5000 vacant posts apart from not calling for fresh recruitment for 500000 vacant posts in various departments. There are instances of not appointing qualified candidates after completing recruitment process and calling for multiple recruitment year after year and accumulating the vacancies; even at the level of public services commissions in various states.

The population is increasing at an increasing rate and to the contrary jobs are decreasing at an increasing rate. With the growing invasion of technology in affairs, the scope of manual work has seen a decline. Machines can do work of several man-hours in minutes. A work which required five men in 2008 can now be done by a man and a computer. So, four people are certain to lose their jobs. For instance, with growth of cashless means of payments and advent of methods like UPI, payment interfaces and the extent of lucrative schemes they extend, thousands of people who run recharge shops and cyber cafes are vulnerable and on the verge of losing their established jobs.

Innovation is the need of the hour. We need innovative and revolutionary ideas. The world is changing quite fast and in these situations, any government can hardly help. The scope of jobs are dying and if government starts appointing people more than actually required, a situation of disguised unemployment will arise and that will pose another threat to the order. Pursuit of excellence must be the objective of youth but it has no place in their priorities today.

The education system too has turned into a white elephant. Universities are serving as garbage manufacturing centers and they are dumping it directly to the market. The quality of education and research has seen a great decay due to several manifest and latent factors and there is no hope for change. In fact, the situation is going to be more frightening in years to follow. They rightly say that a hungry stomach cannot revolt. This is the principle that our policymakers follow. A university student who comes out at an age of 30 after completing his research is already too late to find a job and think about his career so he can hardly think of any revolution and then it is a understood that the quality of their research cannot find them a job, in most of the cases; and this is the reason behind news headlines that feature Ph.D.’s applying for the job of clerk.

The stand of current government is quite opaque. Their decision of not extending freebies, subsidies and not distributing jobs even at a time when elections are  due only the next year may prove politically suicidal.

The situation demands a revolution, a series of illuminating ideas. Unless then the seats in UPSC CSE will keep on going down like all the other departments and recruitment and they will keep us busy in discussions over PAKODA !