Problem with Government Jobs

Summary

The video script delves into the Indian youth's obsession with government jobs, highlighting the allure of job security, prestige, and the stark contrast to the private sector's instability and lack of respect for blue-collar work. It showcases the challenges faced by aspirants, including the significant time and financial investments, and the societal implications of this preference, such as the 'unemployment industry' and the economic impact of a large youth population not actively participating in the job market. The script also touches on the need for quality job creation and the importance of skill-based education for India's young population.

Takeaways

• 📺 Deepak Rawat's YouTube channel popularity reflects the fascination with government jobs like IAS and IPS among youngsters.
• 🎓 The intense competition for government jobs is evident, with thousands of applicants, including Ph.D. holders, vying for low-level positions.
• 📚 Many Indian students dedicate their prime years to preparing for civil service exams, with some like GN Shakya investing over a decade without success.
• 💼 The appeal of government jobs lies in the security and benefits they offer, contrasting with the instability and hardships of private sector jobs.
• 👷‍♂️ Private sector jobs, especially blue-collar ones, often lack comfort, fixed hours, and adequate pay, making government jobs more desirable.
• 🏦 Government jobs provide a range of benefits including pensions, retirement benefits, medical care, housing loans, and childcare.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Prestige and social status are significant factors driving the pursuit of government jobs, especially for those from lower-income backgrounds.
• 🌾 Many candidates for government jobs come from rural areas and agrarian families, seeking stability amidst economic crises.
• 💍 The social impact of securing a government job extends to marriage prospects and family status, influencing societal norms and values.
• 📉 The obsession with government jobs can lead to wasted potential, with highly qualified individuals taking up low-ranking jobs or remaining unemployed.
• 💼 The consequences of this fixation include personal financial strain, family sacrifices, and an overall negative impact on the economy due to reduced consumption and demand.

Q & A

Who is Deepak Rawat and why is he popular?

Deepak Rawat is an IAS officer who has gained millions of followers on his YouTube channel, becoming popular due to the fascination that youngsters have with government job positions like IAS and IPS.

Why are Indian youngsters so fascinated by government jobs?

Youngsters are fascinated by government jobs primarily for two reasons: job security and the prestige associated with such positions in society.

What is the situation in Madhya Pradesh regarding government job applications?

In Madhya Pradesh, there were 11,000 applicants for only 15 job openings for positions like peons, drivers, and watchmen, with some applicants even holding a Ph.D. degree.

What was the experience of GN Shakya in pursuing a government job?

GN Shakya spent 16 years of his life trying to secure a government job, earning five degrees in the process, but ultimately failed to get a job.

Why do some people spend a significant amount of money on pursuing a government job?

People spend a significant amount of money on pursuing government jobs due to the perceived benefits such as job security, benefits like pension plans, and the social prestige associated with these positions.

What challenges do candidates from rural areas face when seeking private sector jobs?

Candidates from rural areas often face challenges such as limited English proficiency and strong educational backgrounds, making it difficult for them to secure high-paying jobs in the private sector.

How does a government job impact the social status and marriage prospects of an individual in India?

A government job can significantly enhance an individual's social status and improve their marriage prospects, as it is often seen as a sign of stability and prestige.

What is the average time spent by candidates preparing for competitive exams in India?

On average, candidates in India spend 3 years and 3 months preparing for competitive exams, though the actual average could be higher for those studying independently.

What are the economic consequences of the fascination with government jobs for the youth in India?

The economic consequences include wastage of the prime years of candidates' lives, financial burden on families, and reduced consumption leading to less demand for goods and services.

What is the 'unemployment industry' and how does it benefit from the situation?

The 'unemployment industry' refers to businesses like guest houses, rental apartments, coaching institutes, photocopy shops, small eateries, and bookshops that rely on the spending of aspirants and candidates preparing for government jobs.

What is the role of Scaler.com as mentioned in the script?

Scaler.com is an online tech academy that aims to upskill college students and tech professionals, helping them become high-quality software engineers and data scientists, and offering mentorship and career guidance from industry experts.

Outlines

00:00

👨‍💼 The Allure of Government Jobs in India

This paragraph delves into the phenomenon of the Indian youth's fascination with government jobs, particularly the IAS and IPS positions. It highlights the security, benefits, and societal prestige associated with these roles, which are seen as a ticket to a comfortable life and an improvement in family status. The script discusses the stark contrast between the perceived glamour of white-collar jobs and the harsh realities of blue-collar work in the private sector, as well as the significant financial and time investments made by individuals in pursuit of these coveted positions, often leading to years of preparation and multiple degrees without securing a job.

05:01

📚 The Consequences of Pursuing Government Jobs

The second paragraph examines the consequences of the intense focus on government jobs, including the loss of youth's prime years spent in preparation for competitive exams, the financial burden on candidates and their families, and the broader economic impact. It presents statistics on the average time spent preparing for exams and the high unemployment rate among young adults, which contributes to reduced consumption and economic activity. The paragraph also touches on the 'unemployment industry' that has emerged to cater to the needs of these aspirants, providing some economic benefit amidst the challenges.

10:06

🏭 The Need for Quality Jobs and Social Respect

The final paragraph shifts the focus to the responsibility of both the youth and the government in addressing the issue of job aspirations. It emphasizes the lack of sufficient and quality job creation in both the private and public sectors and the societal lack of respect for blue-collar jobs. The script argues that India's large youth population is an asset that requires quality employment opportunities for the nation to benefit fully. It concludes with a call to action for skill-based education and upskilling to secure high-paying jobs, promoting Scaler as a platform for such development.

Keywords

💡IAS officer

An IAS (Indian Administrative Service) officer is a member of the elite civil services in India, responsible for implementing government policies and managing public administration. In the video, Deepak Rawat, an IAS officer with millions of followers on YouTube, exemplifies the fascination and prestige associated with government jobs, particularly the IAS and IPS positions.

💡Government job

A government job refers to employment within the public sector, which is often sought after for its stability and benefits. The video discusses the allure of government jobs among Indian youth, including the case of Madhya Pradesh where 11,000 applicants vied for 15 positions, highlighting the intense competition for these roles.

💡Civil service exams

Civil service exams are competitive tests that candidates must pass to secure a position in the civil services of a country. The video mentions that crores of Indian students dedicate their prime years to preparing for these exams, emphasizing the significant time investment involved in pursuing a government job.

💡Job security

Job security refers to the stability and protection against job loss that a position offers. The video contrasts the precarious nature of private sector jobs with the perceived security of government jobs, which offer fixed hours, better pay, and benefits like pensions and medical coverage.

💡Prestige

Prestige in the context of the video refers to the social status and respect associated with certain jobs, particularly government positions. It is highlighted as a significant factor driving people to pursue government jobs, as it can improve an individual's and their family's social standing.

💡Rural areas

Rural areas are regions with a lower population density and typically less industrialization than urban centers. The video points out that around 65% of government exam candidates come from rural areas, often facing challenges in securing high-paying private sector jobs due to language barriers and educational backgrounds.

💡Agrarian families

Agrarian families are those primarily engaged in farming or agriculture. The script notes that 40% of government job candidates come from such families, who are often facing the agrarian crisis and seek government jobs as a means to secure a better future.

💡Unemployment industry

The unemployment industry refers to businesses that have emerged to cater to the needs of job aspirants, such as coaching institutes, guest houses, and bookshops. The video describes this industry as a byproduct of the high demand for government jobs and the extended periods of unemployment among job seekers.

💡Skill-based education

Skill-based education is a form of learning that focuses on acquiring practical skills relevant to the job market. The video promotes Scaler.com as a platform offering such education, aiming to upskill students and professionals to meet the demands of the tech industry and secure high-paying jobs.

💡Economic impact

The economic impact of the government job fascination is discussed in the video, pointing out the potential loss to the economy due to reduced consumption by unemployed youth. It also mentions the manufacturing sector's underutilization and the creation of fewer private-sector jobs as consequences of this trend.

💡Social respect

Social respect in the video is the esteem and recognition given to certain professions within society. It is argued that Indian society tends to respect white-collar jobs, particularly government positions like IAS officers, more than blue-collar jobs, which affects job preferences and societal attitudes towards different professions.

Highlights

Deepak Rawat, an IAS officer with millions of YouTube followers, exemplifies the fascination with government jobs among Indian youth.

In Madhya Pradesh, 11,000 applicants, including Ph.D. holders, competed for 15 low-level government positions.

Many Indian students dedicate their prime years to civil service exams, with some like GN Shakya spending 16 years without securing a job.

Some aspirants invest significant financial resources into their pursuit of government jobs, despite the uncertain outcome.

The appeal of government jobs lies in the security and benefits they offer, contrasting with the instability and hardships of private sector jobs.

Government jobs provide a sense of comfort with fixed hours, better pay, and additional benefits like pensions and housing loans.

Prestige in society is another significant draw of government jobs, especially for those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Government job acquisition is often likened to winning a lottery, with profound effects on an individual's social status and marriage prospects.

Aspirants for government jobs are predominantly from rural areas and lower socioeconomic backgrounds, facing language barriers in the private sector.

The agrarian crisis has driven many from farming backgrounds to seek the stability of government jobs.

Highly-qualified individuals often end up in low-ranking government jobs due to intense competition and limited opportunities.

The pursuit of government jobs can lead to a wastage of the candidates' prime years, with an average preparation time of 3 years and 3 months.

Financial burden on families is significant as most candidates are unemployed and rely on family support during their preparation.

The Indian economy suffers due to reduced consumption by the large number of unemployed youth preparing for government exams.

An 'unemployment industry' has emerged, benefiting from the spending of aspirants on coaching institutes, accommodations, and study materials.

The lack of quality jobs in both the private sector and government necessitates the need for better employment opportunities for India's youth.

Society's lack of respect for blue-collar jobs contributes to the preference for government positions and the challenges faced by the private sector.

Scaler.com is highlighted as a platform for upskilling and securing high-paying jobs in the tech industry, offering an alternative to government job aspirations.

Transcripts

This is Deepak Rawat.

He has millions of followers on his YouTube channel.

You'd think he is a Bollywood celebrity.

But he's not.

He's an IAS officer.

Part of his popularity is the undying fascination youngsters have for the job position of IAS and IPS.

Not only IAS and IPS, youngsters are fascinated by any form of government job.

Take the example of Madhya Pradesh,

where 11,000 applicants applied for 15 job openings for peons, drivers, and watchmen.

Some of the applicants held a Ph.D. degree.

Crores of Indian students spend the prime of their lives preparing for civil service exams.

But not everyone gets a government job.

Allahabad's GN Shakya spent 16 years of his life chasing a government job,

amassing five degrees during that time, but he failed at getting a job.

Apart from spending years of their life, some also spend a significant sum of money on a government job.

But the question is: Is the hard work worth it?

This is what I want to talk about in this video.

First, we need to understand why people chase government jobs.

It’s due to two reasons.

First, is that the government job gives people a sense of security.

You might think that most people who are preparing for government jobs have never held a job.

But that's far from the truth.

Many would simultaneously be working in the private sector as well as preparing for a government job.

When we think of the private sector,

we think of a job where we are sitting in an AC office, wearing a suit, and having a good life.

This is a white-collar job.

But this is not the reality for most Indians.

For some, a private sector job means a blue-collar job, where life is not comfortable.

Take the example of Kishore, who, after completing a three-year Diploma from ITI, Sultanpur,

got a job in a plastics plant in Chennai.

He had to work on 12-hour shifts and was paid a meager salary.

For people like Kishore, a government job offers comfort—of fixed hours and better pay.

It's true.

A General Helper holding a government job is paid more compared to one in the private sector.

Moreover, private jobs offer no job security.

There’s a saying "a private company can vanish in a puff of smoke".

But such is not the case with a government job.

Moreover, a government job offers benefits

such as pension plans, retirement benefits, medical, housing loans, and childcare.

Apart from job security, another benefit of a government job is prestige in society.

For someone coming from a poor family,

a government job is the only way to earn prestige in society and improve the family’s economic position.

For many people getting a government job is like winning a lottery.

["Hurray! I cleared the exam."]

This might look ridiculous to some people.

You might say they should just crack the JEE exam and get into an IIT.

This would help them secure a good job position.

But IITs have limited seats.

And we also need to understand what kind of people prepare for a government job.

According to an analysis, around 65% of the candidates for government exams belong to rural areas.

Most of these candidates belong to a lower-middle class and lower-class families.

Most of them receive their schooling in vernacular languages and not in English.

Thus, it becomes difficult for them to find high-paying jobs in the private sector.

Jeevan, who comes from a rural area and had been preparing for a government exam in Jaipur,

said that there are two types of jobs in the private sector.

One, which is high paying but requires you to have a strong educational background and fluency in English.

Another one, where you’ve to work for 12 hours only to receive INR10,000 at the end of the month.

For people like Jeevan, it’s difficult to secure a private sector job of the first type.

The same analysis found that 40% of the candidates come from agrarian families.

We know the current agrarian crisis.

They have no option left but to turn to government jobs in hopes to secure a better future.

For instance, Anil, who belongs to a small village in Uttar Pradesh,

moved to Allahabad in order to prepare for government jobs.

Once secured, a government job instantly enhances the social status of not just the candidate, but of the whole family.

Especially it affects whom the men would marry.

[“She’s our only daughter. We would find the best husband for her.’]

In Haryana, parents prefer to marry their daughters to a man holding a government job.

[“What do you do for a living?”]

[“I’m a government peon.”]

["We've found a match!"]

A teacher spent INR 60 lakhs on the wedding of his daughter because he managed to find a government employee for her

- that too a clerk!

Sandeep Singh, a marriage agent, says

even a clerical government job fetches a man a handsome dowry and at least a car worth INR 15 lakh.

[“Would you ask for dowry?”]

[“Obviously not. I’ll do it for free.”]

[“Do you want to do it?”]

Thus, some people persevere for years to prepare for an exam.

When they can’t succeed, they end up doing odd jobs that pay a meager salary.

Take the example of Radha Kumari, who is a 25-year-old science postgraduate and has also cleared the NET exam.

And yet, she works for a coaching institute for a monthly sum of INR 4,000.

Thus, our youth must focus on learning skills that are actually useful in today's job market.

Here’s one platform which can help you with this—Scaler.com.

Scaler.com is an online tech academy where every student is taught by subject matter experts from top tech companies.

Scaler’s objective is to upskill college students and tech professionals

to create the finest software engineers and data scientists across the globe.

They help you out with one-on-one mentorship,

where you can receive life and career advice in addition to learning.

As these mentors have worked with top tech companies, they can offer you the best career guidance.

Students from scaler have been placed into big tech and top product-based companies.

They’ve witnessed an average salary hike of 126%.

They also offer you valuable tips on cracking interviews.

Check out Scaler.com from the link in the description to upskill yourself.

You can register for a FREE LIVE class to see the difference and find out how beneficial it is for you.

So, what really are the consequences of this fascination for government jobs?

There are mainly three consequences.

The first consequence is the wastage of the prime of the candidates' lives.

Look at this graph.

It shows that a candidate spends on average 3 years and 3 months preparing for a competitive exam.

The real average could be higher than that.

Because this survey was conducted among the students who had enrolled themselves in coaching centres.

But many students study by themselves.

Like Radha Kumari, some students spend years studying and when they fail to secure a government job,

they have to find a position for which they’re over-qualified.

Take the example of Ganesh, who had been preparing in Jaipur for 7 years.

To improve his financial condition, he took up a job as a part-time tutor in a coaching center.

He says that initially, everyone dreams of being an inspector,

but with failure, people become desperate and start applying for every kind of government job.

So, highly-qualified candidates end up applying for low-ranking jobs,

creating even stiffer competition for those jobs.

This is why, in Uttar Pradesh, the position of a police messenger

—whose job is to transfer files from one office to another—

received 1 lakh applications, 3700 of whom were Ph.D. holders.

This happened in Uttar Pradesh.

Everyone who had studied till class 5th and owned a bicycle could apply for this job.

It’s surprising that many Ph.D. holders applied for such a position.

The second consequence is the loss of money.

Since 93% of candidates preparing for government jobs are unemployed,

they depend on their families to support them in preparation.

A candidate in Prayagraj spends INR 1,50,000 per year whereas a candidate in Delhi spends nearly INR 3,00,000 per year!

Since most of these students come from poor backgrounds, this additional financial burden takes a toll on the families.

The families have to make many sacrifices so that their children keep preparing for the exams.

[“I’m struggling financially.”]

[“Should I put my family first or my preparation?”]

[“That’s the dilemma. I’m in debt.”]

For example, Ramesh, a student from Prayagraj, said his family had to take loans

and sell their farm for a lower price just so that he could keep preparing.

For some, the situation is so worse that they’ve to think twice before buying a book for their studies.

The third consequence is the loss to the economy.

The rate of unemployment for those in the age group of 20-24 years is around 42%.

The figure for the age group 30-34 is just 0.8%.

This means that when a person reaches the age of thirty, he/she begins to search for a job.

This is because they are now ineligible for most government jobs

or they’ve finally given up after so many attempts of clearing the exam.

A writer wrote in his book that most of the spending a person does occurs between the age of 15-45.

Be it to buy a car or a house.

These spendings sustain our economy.

Since many youths are unemployed till they reach the age of 30,

because they’re preparing for a government exam, our economy has to take a blow.

Less consumption implies less demand for goods and services.

This will reduce a business’ income.

Data from the Reserve Bank of India shows that

the manufacturing companies in India haven’t been working at their full capacity for the past decade.

This leads to the creation of fewer private-sector jobs.

This doesn't mean that the economy doesn't benefit at all from these aspirants.

There’s a benefit.

A new industry has come up called the “unemployment industry."

From guest houses, rental apartments, and coaching institutes to photocopy shops, small eateries, and bookshops

all rely on the spending of these aspirants and candidates.

Now it is easy to blame youngsters for this problem.

But the government will also have to take responsibility.

No one wants to waste 3 years and 3 months of their prime youth, just studying for an exam.

But the issue is that the private sector and the government are not creating enough jobs for them.

And it's not only the number of jobs that matter, but their quality as well.

Over the last 3-4 months, I have been interviewing many Zomato and Swiggy drivers.

Most of them told me that they were doing the job out of compulsion.

It is tough work.

You’ve to go to the mall.

Go to the top floor using an escalator because that's where restaurants are.

After picking up the parcel they have to come down

only to find that they’ve parked their vehicle improperly and listen to the raves of security guards.

Then go to an apartment building for delivery, climb stairs,

listen to the raves of the customer

and then start another delivery.

This is a difficult private sector job.

If we talk about factories, most of them are unsafe for the workers.

Another problem in India is respect.

Our society doesn’t respect those who hold blue-collar jobs such as delivery guys, waiters, or sweepers.

We’ve reserved this respect for the IAS officers.

This is why people don't want to do these jobs because the public doesn't appreciate it.

65% of India's population is aged under 35, which is our greatest asset.

To utilize this asset, our youth need a quality jobs.

For now, most of these youngsters are preparing for government exams.

This doesn’t benefit them, their families, or their country.

What do you think?

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If you want skill-based education to upskill yourself, don’t forget to check out Scaler.

Scaler will help you learn relevant skills and secure a high-paying job.

The link’s in the description.

If you liked this video, I’m sure you’ll enjoy watching this video

in which we discussed why Bihar’s government is failing to create jobs.

Do check out this video.