The relentless hunt for government jobs

Sunil Kumar, a 30-year-old from Uttar Pradesh, has dedicated nearly a decade to securing a government job, failing 13 times. Kumar is emblematic of countless young Indians driven by the pursuit of job stability in government jobs, despite the country’s nascent private sector.

Between 2014 and 2022, 220 million people applied for federal jobs, of which only 722,000 were selected, illustrating immense competition. Government jobs are highly sought after for their perceived security and benefits, dwarfing the promising but volatile private sector.

Government exam training institutions are flourishing, with instructors like Zafar Baksh seeing increased demand and business growth. However, data shows that most new jobs in the private sector are temporary or self-employed, and do not offer the security that young aspirants seek.

(With input from agencies.)