바카라General physician wale hain (We are general physicians),바카라 laughs 30-ÂÂyear- old Sintu Kumar when asked about the kind of jobs he is preparing for. He expÂÂlains the 바카라general physician바카라 term in detail. 바카라Like genÂeral physicians treat all kinds of diseases, people appearing for the general competition exams vie for a raft of government jobs, all low grade. That바카라s what I바카라m preparing for.바카라 Though the term is used sarcastically, it is very common among those who prepare for the exam.
Like Sintu, lakhs of youth living in Musallahpur Haat area in Patna are preparing for years to land government jobs. The passion that drives them for anywhere between 8-10 years of their lives has nothing to do with any interest in public service, but a desperation for a regular job.
It has been nine years since Sintu Kumar began preparing for general competitive exams. In these nine years, he has sat in over a dozen exams바카라for police inspector, SSC, railways, state secretariat, BPSC, etc.바카라but has so far failed to crack any.
Sintu lives in a tiny hovel in Musallahpur Haat, which he shares with another aspirant. He cooks himself. Life, he says, is very drab. 바카라I get little time for entertainment. All I can do in my spare time is watch movies on my cellphone,바카라 he adds, proudly displaying his cheap Chinese smartphone which he uses to take online classes on YouTube.
This year, he took an attempt at the post of inspÂector. He passed the physical examination and the written test, and was just a step away from landing the job. He had to clear the endurance running test and the job would be his.
He did not want to miss this golden opportunity at any cost. After all, how long would he spend preÂparing for jobs? Coming from a poor Chamaar (a SC caste) family, arranging the money was a tough ask. His father is a marginal farmer with around a bigha of land. His elder brother earns Rs 12,000 a month, working as construction labour. 바카라My brother has his own family with wife and thrÂee kids, yet he sends me Rs 5,000 every month as expenses,바카라 says Sintu.
He started running 5 km daily, under the guidaÂnce of a trainer, so that he could perform his best in the test. For this, Sintu has to shell out an additÂiÂonal Rs 5,000 as fees. While running in Patna, he could not get time to cook, which would have affeÂcted his preparation, so he returned to his home in Maheswa village of Madhepura district. 바카라After a 10-km run, good food is essential. It was not available in Patna, so I had to go to the village,바카라 he says.
바카라The test was scheduled for June 15. I didn바카라t want to fail at any cost, so I decided to practice running 10 km everyday for 20-25 days,바카라 he says.
Sintu was not used to running, yet he ran 10 km daily. It soon took a toll on his health. After a week of running, his knee developed unbearable pain and he was forced to consult a doctor. The doctor prescribed a number of tests that revealed the knee had swollen due to excessive running.
Sintu was instructed to take rest with medicines, but he continued his practice. 바카라I didn바카라t want to let go of this job, so I kept taking medicines, but also kept running. I ended up spending Rs. 50,000 on healthcare,바카라 he says. His father dipped into his life바카라s savings and borrowed the rest.
On June 15, he appeared for the running test brimming with enthusiasm, but fell short of the selection criteria by just a second. 바카라In 2019, I got disqualified in the high jump at the recruitment for inspectors. This year, I cracked the high jump but failed in the run,바카라 says Sintu.
I met him at his Patna stay on June 17, two days after running the test, in a small room that had no ventilation. A concrete rack along a wall was full of books for competitive exams. Sintu was visibly upÂÂsÂet. During the conversation, he got a call on his cellphone, asking if he was fine. The caller also coÂnÂÂsÂoled him for falling short in the running test. With a melancholic smile on his face, Sintu spoke to him in his local dialect, 바카라Theeke chhiye, mar nai geleo haan (I바카라m fine, I바카라m not yet dead).바카라 The despÂeÂration to convey masculine stoicism was evident.
He says he has been getting such phone calls ever since he fell short in the test. 바카라My entire family was eagerly waiting for the results, so soon aftÂer the run, they called me from the village and enqÂuired. I told them I failed to qualify by a second. They all cried. They were so upset that no food was cooked in the house that day,바카라 he says. 바카라I바카라m unable to sleep out of frustration,바카라 he adds.
Government jobs were not Sintu바카라s first priority. After clearing the intermediate exam, he had dreamed of becoming a doctor or engineer, but being poor, he knew he wouldn바카라t be able to fund the expensive tuitions he needed for that, so he settled for the next best option바카라preparing for a government job entrance exam.
Why does he seek a government job and not try out private sector employment? Pat comes the reply, 바카라A government job brings immense respect in our society and also secures the future.바카라 He mentions the Covid-19 pandemic as reason for his increased urge for a government job. 바카라During Covid-19, we saw with our own eyes the difference between government and private jobs. You see, when Covid-19 came, there were huge layoffs in the private sector. People바카라s salaries were reduced, but those of government employees remained secure. They got their full salary while sitting at home. This is the big difference between a government job and a private job,바카라 he says.
When families from rural areas send their children to the city to prepare for government jobs, the eyes of the entire village are on them. It leads to more social pressure on the aspirants. Sintu explains, 바카라There바카라s no coaching centre at my village, nor is there a study environment. Moreover, in my village home, I바카라d have to run household chores, which would distract from my preparation. In Patna, there are many coaching centres, and living with aspirants is good for motivation.바카라
For a few years now, Sintu has stopped returning to the village. 바카라When I go to the village, neighbours comment disparagingly about the number of years I have spent in trying to crack government job exams, hinting that I바카라m wasting time,바카라 he says.
바카라If I inform my father that I have qualified in an examination, neighbours in the village tell him I바카라m lying just to make him happy,바카라 he says.
Sintu바카라s focus is clear바카라any Group D government job. 바카라They offer security with yearly increments. One can retire after around 30 years, but continue to enjoy pension, gratuity, etc.바카라 Along with these, a government servant, even a clerk, is respected in society, he says, improving marriage prospects.
Actually, he adds, 바카라In villages, boys get married by 25-27. I바카라m 30 now. I should have got married. Now, if I get a job I바카라ll get married easily. Otherwise it will be difficult.바카라
Despite adversity, Sintu will not give up. He says, 바카라I바카라ll again appear for the inspector바카라s exam. As long as I am eligible to apply, I will try for a government job. Only when I바카라m too old to apply, will I try my hand at other avenues for survival.바카라
(This appeared in the print edition as "바카라General Physician Wale Hain바카라")
Umesh Kumar Ray in Patna
