It is 2pm, a quiet afternoon. The whirring fan begs to be repaired. A bag is placed in the corner, nigh to the wall. Abhishek is cooking a dish of lentils for lunch. His friend Sunesh helps him to cut onions and peel garlic in his room. They are in Jaipur, Rajasthan. These students don바카라t follow any time table바카라every day is a holiday or working day. The schedule for the morning, evening, and night looks the same for those who are waiting to occupy a government job.
Abhishek is preparing for 바카라general competition바카라 바카라a term connoting that the student in question is preparing for all job examinations. After completing matriculation, many youngsters in North India start preparing for government jobs. These exams are often mired in delays바카라cancellation of exams, question paper leaks, court cases바카라and can take 3-4 years to complete, right from issuing notification to joining the service. This is why these government job aspirants seemingly appear to be stuck in a Kafkaesque loop.
Anil, who recently cleared the librarian grade-III exam conducted by Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board (RSMSSB) narrated an episode about his ordeal. The Rajasthan government had advertised a vacancy for a librarian grade-III post in 2018, and in the notification, a date in July 2019 was announced for the exam. But the government reopened the exam forms again in June 2019, so the exam date was shifted to December 29, 2019. 바카라After the exam, we heard that the question paper was leaked, and the exam would be conducted again,바카라 he says. April 13, 2020, was the date chosen for the re-examination. 바카라As Covid put everything on halt, the exam was postponed to September 29, 2020. On this day, an exam was conducted, and in October the results were announced.바카라 Anil was selected and his documents, verified. 바카라Then a case was filed in Rajasthan high court to cancel the exam because the paper had been leaked. We had to hire lawyers to fight andpay their fees,바카라 he says.
In March 2021, the final results were announced. In June 2021, the district of his posting was allotted and in September 2021, the students were asked to join. 바카라The process took over three years. This is the story of every exam. The process takes years to complete,바카라 Anil says, with a wry smile. 바카라We never thought that as students, we will have to fight cases or protest for exams. We had to meet politicians because the government didn바카라t listen to our plight.바카라
Anil believes that the state government doesn바카라t care about exams of lower grade services, as on some occasions, the government agencies don바카라t even define a syllabus properly. 바카라To comprehend dark humour, check the syllabus of these exams. Some exam syllabus just say 바카라General Knowledge바카라. What does this mean? Every exam should have a defined syllabus like UPSC, NDA, etc.바카라
Adjacent to Abhishek바카라s room, lives Man Singh Gurjar, a 27-year-old man from Bagoda village in Jalore district of Rajasthan. Since morning, he had been in a private library until he decided to go back home for lunch at 1pm. He is preparing for Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teacher (REET). Gurjar does not show any signs of worry, despite the precarious condition he is in. He doesn바카라t doubt his capability of passing the exam, but continues to suffer due to the agency바카라s failure to conduct it on time. 바카라I was selected for a constable바카라s post in 2012, but failed the physical test. I know I can clear these exams, but often the notification doesn바카라t come on time.바카라 Now he spends all day in the library and room. His friends and younger brothers are also at the library, preparing for various exams. Like a common chord uniting them as a family.
바카라We live like a family, because we do not want to face relatives back home. I keep getting asked what I am doing, whether I have any job or not. Everything becomes a question of competence. If I don바카라t have a job, my relatives think I am incompetent,바카라 says Shachin Singh, a government job aspirant. 바카라I don바카라t attend weddings, parties or any event at my relatives, because I am constantly asked the same question and then sneered at, which is humiliating,바카라 he adds.
Most of these students stay in their respective state capital or at cities known for their coaching institutes. Friends Ravi Meena, Sunesh Meena, and Naveen Meena have rented a room in Jaipur for Rs 4,000 per month. 바카라Our monthly expense goes up to Rs 5,000-6,000, which is higher than we can afford. It becomes a bigger pain when the exam is stuck in legal trouble.바카라
***
For the past few months, the Rajasthan Unemployment Association has been holding massive protests against the government, demanding the advancement of recruitment process of unemployed youth to posts of lab assistant, teacher, technician, nurse, pharmacist, Panchayati Raj lower division clerk, sanitary inspectors and others. They also demand strict action against cases of question paper leaks, which has become a frequent thing. This recently happened with the constable recruitment exam.
바카라We prepare by giving it our all, but those with resources, money and contacts get the exam papers in advance,바카라 says Rajesh Meena, a protesting student. Minister of Skill Development, Employment and Entrepreneurship in the Rajasthan Assembly, Ashok Chandna, presented data to show how his government is working for the unemployed youth, saying, 바카라A total of 16,54,106 unemployed are registered in the state as on February 1, 2022. Out of these, a total of 6,11,831 youth applied for unemployment allowance under Mukhyamantri Yuva Sambal Yojana. Out of which, 4,02,826 candidates have benefited since January 31, 2022.바카라
However, the students are not impressed. 바카라Why do we have to protest? No serious student will protest unless they are compelled to. The government should stop paper leaks and take strict action against the culprits. Action must also be taken on those who secure jobs with fake certificates. But the government is busy in its own world and doesn바카라t care about the youth,바카라 adds Meena.
Protests by government job aspirants have become a recurring phenomenon in the entire North India belt. Recently, a nationwide student protest erupted during the UP assembly elections over alleged inefficient and delayed results announced by Railway Recruitment Board바카라s Non Technical Popular Categories (RRB-NTPC) examination.
This protest lso let out years of pent up frustration endured by unemployed youth. The problems in the RRB-NTPC exam just became the trigger. The railways announced 35,281 openings in 2019 and received 12.5 million applications. After three years, it has only announced the result of Computer Based Test-1 (CTBT-1) on January 14, 2022, and it is still uncertain how much time will it take to process.
As per the independent think tank Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), more than half of the 900 million Indians of legal working age don바카라t want a job, which is roughly the population of USA and Russia combined. Many of these youths are either preparing for some exam or underemployed in some family profession. This indicates how grave this crisis is.
***
The stretch of Tonk Phatak to Gopalpur in Jaipur is populated with coaching institutes, libraries, canteens, tea stalls바카라the universal design of an urbanscape where students are found. Areas like Mukherjee Nagar, Karol Bagh, Jia Sarai in Delhi, Bagada and Salori areas of Prayagraj share eerie similarities as areas whose occupants are preparing for government jobs. Bikes, cycles and students waiting in queues outside a coaching institute with their bags are a common sight here. Scenes that show how institutes sell hope amidst a mounting job crisis. 바카라The government does not recognise what we do. Our education system has already crumbled. But we provide a link between students aspiring for government jobs and government agencies hiring these students,바카라 says a teacher at an institute here. 바카라We groom these raw talents. But the narrative outside criminalises us. Just imagine wiping us from this system, what will happen? This crisis will exacerbate because students often lack basic math, reasoning and language skills,바카라 he adds.
Every coaching institute, however, has a typical design suggesting something problematic. When this reporter asked coaching institutes about fees and number of students, the answers were vague. 바카라The amount we charge is just to help us sustain, and it is nominal,바카라 says a few. But every institute has a corporate-type reception, a few bouncers and a list of packages for students aspiring government jobs. When this reporter tried to click pictures of coaching institutes, most of them refused, especially the big names. Students have a mixed response to coaching. Some feel these institutes play a crucial role. Others outright admit that these places just want to snatch money, and take credit for a student바카라s success by paying them some money.
Libraries in the areas of coaching hubs, have redefined themselves. Instead of books, these are places where one can find space to study with those who share the same pain and struggle. Charges vary바카라for a six-hour membership, students pay Rs 500-700 and, for full day and night, it amounts to Rs 1,200-1,800. In this deal, students get free WiFi, water and a space to study. 바카라We study here. We make friendships. Nobody judges us here because everyone knows the state of exams. So, it바카라s the safest space one can have,바카라 says Shalini Singh, who is preparing for the village development officer exam, explaining what libraries mean to students. 바카라As a girl, I am facing another kind of pressure apart from long tedious exams; if I don바카라t pass the exam, I will be married off.바카라 Â
However, years wasted in the preparation affect the personal life of students. 바카라I am not looking for a bride right now, because I don바카라t have a job. I don바카라t have the courage to speak to girls, so there is no chance of having a girlfriend,바카라 confides Balvir Singh. When asked why he is not trying his luck with private jobs, he says, 바카라We can바카라t opt for private jobs as it will affect our marriage prospects. Government jobs provide security as no one can remove you from the post. Prospective brides outrightly reject us if we don바카라t have government jobs.바카라 Another fact: a government job brings in more dowry. 바카라Besides, preparing for a government job is a big compulsion. Many students come from lower income groups and don바카라t have skills for private jobs. So, we keep preparing for government exams, until we clear one,바카라 concludes Singh.Â
(This appeared in the print edition as "The Waiting Game")
