11,000 apply for 15 government jobs in Madhya Pradesh
What's the story
Thousands of young men flocked to Gwalior city in Madhya Pradesh over the weekend to apply for government job openings. But there were only 15 to grab. Highly-qualified youths competed with each other to get work as peons, watchmen, and drivers in state government departments. The Opposition has slammed the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the issue.
Context
Why does it matter?
The news highlights the terrifying tale of unemployment in MP and India. The country's unemployment rate touched 9.3% January-March 2021, up from 9.1% in the same period last year. Major reasons for joblessness include high population growth in relation to economic growth and lack of skill-based education. In MP alone, 95 people died by suicide due to unemployment last year.
Details
'There is no money to buy books'
While the eligibility for the jobs in MP was 10th pass, applicants included graduates, post-graduates, engineers, as well as MBAs. A graduate even appeared from the neighboring state of Uttar Pradesh, NDTV reported. "The situation is such that sometimes there is no money to buy books. So, I thought I will get some work," an applicant told the news channel.
Situation
32 lakh+ unemployed in MP
A total of 32,57,136 people are registered as unemployed in the employment offices across Madhya Pradesh. At the same time, around one lakh posts are vacant in different departments of the state government. Of them, the School Education Department has 30,600 posts; the Home Department has 9,388; the Health Department has 8,592; and the Revenue Department has 9,530 vacant posts.
Politics
Congress slams MP government
The Opposition Congress party has hit out at the BJP-led MP government over the job crisis. "This shows what the development of 17 years of (Chief Minister) Shivraj government actually looks like. Who talked about filling 1 lakh posts in a month? Where are those leaders? When will they come on the streets?" party spokesperson Narendra Saluja said.