The current government has not only left the Indian economy in a shambles but also done irrepairable damage to the job market (creation of new government jobs) across the public sector and given credence to the oft repeated dictum about one out of every three graduates twiddling their thumbs at home as employment opportunities are scarce, few and in far between........
Take the recent tragicomic situation of 40 post graduates making a beeline towards the secretariat in Chandigarh to apply for the much coveted job of a peon within the echelons or then should I say corridoors of power within the Punjab government.........
These much desired jobs would earn the selected candidates the "princely" sum of Rs. 6,200/- per month and what takes the cake is the fact that the Punjab government received more than 16,000 applications for the 21 odd post that needed to be filled up in the immediate future.........
Satish, a resident of Himachal Pradesh's Bilaspur district was one amongst the 16.000 plus applicants who turned up to be interviewed for the post of peon at the district courts located within sector 43 of the Punjab capital; Satish is a MBA and has been trying his luck in the job market for almost a year now.........
He certainly found himself in august company as Vijay a resident of Chandigarh's sector 33 also turned up to be interviewed for the same job on Thursday; Vijay is a B.Com degree holder and has been trying his fortune at the employment turnstiles for well over 20 months.........
One can attribute the craze for this humble governmental post to the unceasing quest for permanence and penchant for a government job that guarantees you a tenure of 30 odd years, but the irrefutable fact that many a BEd, BCA, B.Com, B.A., M.A. and MCA degree holders turned up for the interview indeed does not hold out much hope for a bright and rosy future.........
Incorrigible optimists might well celebrate the fact that the "dignity of labour" is the winner in a scenario that expects a selected candidate to have passed his class VIII exams with a modicum of comfort and have more than an acquaintance with both spoken as well as written Hindi and Punjabi.........
A smattering of English or then the inherent ability to make yourself understood in the queen's language might well prove to be the icing on the proverbial cake, but a chequered canvas where graduates who should be imparting computer skills to beginners and candidates who should be teaching others carting around tattered government files and serving endless cups of chai to their sarkari bosses not only raises eyebrows but is more than a definite cause for concern.........
As a BSc (IT) graduate and long time resident of Dadumajra candidly remarked, "look at the brighter side, it is a government job that guarantees you a sense of permanence and ensures that you take home your salary cheque on the last working day of every month; and most importantly it certainly beats the state of twiddling your thumbs and eternally hoping that you will be able to land a seemingly elusive job commensurate with your educational qualifications".........
So do not be startled or raise your eyebrows if you find yourself being served a cup of chai by a person in a peon's uniform who is better mannered and far more comfortable and fluent with the queen's lingo the next time you frequent the dark and dingy passages of the district courts in Chandigarh..........
As for the fortunes of the next union government that takes over from the present lot in May 2014, the less said the better; they will not only have to create job opportunities by the tonne but also ensure that the skill set of a MBA, BCA or then any other graduate who has qualified on his/her own steam after having duly competed against lakhs of others like him/her is not criminally wasted in discharging a peon's assigned duties.......
Take the recent tragicomic situation of 40 post graduates making a beeline towards the secretariat in Chandigarh to apply for the much coveted job of a peon within the echelons or then should I say corridoors of power within the Punjab government.........
These much desired jobs would earn the selected candidates the "princely" sum of Rs. 6,200/- per month and what takes the cake is the fact that the Punjab government received more than 16,000 applications for the 21 odd post that needed to be filled up in the immediate future.........
Satish, a resident of Himachal Pradesh's Bilaspur district was one amongst the 16.000 plus applicants who turned up to be interviewed for the post of peon at the district courts located within sector 43 of the Punjab capital; Satish is a MBA and has been trying his luck in the job market for almost a year now.........
He certainly found himself in august company as Vijay a resident of Chandigarh's sector 33 also turned up to be interviewed for the same job on Thursday; Vijay is a B.Com degree holder and has been trying his fortune at the employment turnstiles for well over 20 months.........
One can attribute the craze for this humble governmental post to the unceasing quest for permanence and penchant for a government job that guarantees you a tenure of 30 odd years, but the irrefutable fact that many a BEd, BCA, B.Com, B.A., M.A. and MCA degree holders turned up for the interview indeed does not hold out much hope for a bright and rosy future.........
Incorrigible optimists might well celebrate the fact that the "dignity of labour" is the winner in a scenario that expects a selected candidate to have passed his class VIII exams with a modicum of comfort and have more than an acquaintance with both spoken as well as written Hindi and Punjabi.........
A smattering of English or then the inherent ability to make yourself understood in the queen's language might well prove to be the icing on the proverbial cake, but a chequered canvas where graduates who should be imparting computer skills to beginners and candidates who should be teaching others carting around tattered government files and serving endless cups of chai to their sarkari bosses not only raises eyebrows but is more than a definite cause for concern.........
As a BSc (IT) graduate and long time resident of Dadumajra candidly remarked, "look at the brighter side, it is a government job that guarantees you a sense of permanence and ensures that you take home your salary cheque on the last working day of every month; and most importantly it certainly beats the state of twiddling your thumbs and eternally hoping that you will be able to land a seemingly elusive job commensurate with your educational qualifications".........
So do not be startled or raise your eyebrows if you find yourself being served a cup of chai by a person in a peon's uniform who is better mannered and far more comfortable and fluent with the queen's lingo the next time you frequent the dark and dingy passages of the district courts in Chandigarh..........
As for the fortunes of the next union government that takes over from the present lot in May 2014, the less said the better; they will not only have to create job opportunities by the tonne but also ensure that the skill set of a MBA, BCA or then any other graduate who has qualified on his/her own steam after having duly competed against lakhs of others like him/her is not criminally wasted in discharging a peon's assigned duties.......
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