'Why Are People Willing To Suffer For A Government Job?'

'When I asked whether they would choose a government job that offered Rs 30,000 a month or a private job that offered them Rs 3 lakh a month, without exception, everybody said, "I would rather have the government job!"'

Why is it that young people in India long for a government job though it is hard to come by?

Is it job security? Is it the prestige associated with a government job?

Kunal Mangal, a development economist and a data scientist conducted a research study based on the data from the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) and speaking to candidates who take the examination. The study was done over five years.

His academic report is titled The Indian labour market through the lens of Public Sector recruitment.

"Most unemployment is concentrated among those who are in their 20s as they are looking for something that will change their lives for the better. Instead of blaming them, we should try to find out why the private sector job market is unattractive to young people," Kunal Mangal, below, tells Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier.

Is it because you felt Indians have a fixation for jobs in the government and public sector that you decided to conduct a study on the subject?

The main reason behind the study was to understand unemployment. That's why I chose this as the subject for my PhD.

We haven't really looked at the role of public service commission in the unemployment scene.

We only see headlines like thousands and thousands of people applied for a few hundred jobs. But nobody has tried to find out whether they are applying because they are unemployed, or they are unemployed because they are applying.

One possibility is that the labour market is very slack and there aren't many jobs. So, people are applying anywhere- government, public sector and private sector.

Another hypothesis is that applying for government jobs increases unemployment. They even give up other jobs to procure a government job.

Why did you conduct the study based on the data from the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission?

That is because they were willing to co-operate and provide me with data.

It is very difficult to get data from state public service commissions. They are very secretive about their data as they fear the possibility of people misusing it.

But TNPSC was co-operative as I was using the data for the public good.

The fact is, nobody has done any study on the role of public service commissions in the labour market. So, we do not know how important this is in the labour market. It is like exploring some dark corner of the labour market.

I was trying to fill the gap through my research study.

Did they feel your study will make them understand the labour market better?

I think so. They might have felt that it would be useful for the state's employment policy, and also the public service commission policy.

The public service commission also has to understand the market.

For example, the study talks about transparency, that is, how transparent should the selection process be. And the benefits of doing so.

Then, there is another chapter on question paper quality which is about how to achieve quality within the constraints of the Public Service Commission Act.

You spoke to thousands of jobseekers. What was the most interesting or shocking revelation?

One big revelation was to see the passion that women candidates have for the public service commission exam.

They felt that this was the best employment they could wish for. That is because they knew if they got a government job before they got married, nobody would ask them to resign. They also knew that if it was not a government job, their in-laws would force them to resign.

One woman in Tamil Nadu told me that because her parents were trying to marry her off, she shaved her head to buy herself some time so that she could prepare for the public service commission exam. Because she shaved her head, her engagement was called off, but she was relieved that she got time to prepare. She told me, shaving her head was her only option.

Did you see this kind of passion only among women?

No, not at all. With women, the surprising aspect is the link between the intensity of preparation and the fear of marriage.

For men, the motivation is different, and it is different for different types of people.

But the predominant feeling is, a government job is looked upon as a very prestigious and very lucrative job that offers them a very comfortable life.

The question is, why are people willing to suffer so much for a government job?

By suffer, you mean, spending a lot of time, energy and money to prepare for the exam?

Yes. Also, they are ridiculed by family members for 'wasting time' and being labelled as 'good for nothing'. Added to this abuse is, constant disappointment and dejection.

It is interesting to note that young people are still willing to spend a lot of time and money for this kind of a gamble.

I feel we need a lot more research on this part.

It is said that it is the security that a government job offers is the major attraction for every jobseeker...

Yes, job security is a major factor. But I don't think it is just that one factor that attracts jobseekers.

There are many, many more benefits that a government job offers, and that is why people are willing to suffer to get that job.

From a guy's point of view, a government job gives him extra leverage in the marriage market. Many young men openly said that it was a major motivation.

IMAGE: Kunal Mangal. Photograph: Kind courtesy Kunal Mangal

Next important reason for men is the prestige attached to a government job.

When I asked them whether they would choose a government job that offered Rs 30,000 a month or a private job that offered them Rs 3 lakh a month, without exception, everybody said, I would rather have the government job!

The argument was, 'If you have a private sector job, nobody knows who you are. But the whole district knows who you are if you are a government official. And you are invited to be on the stage for any function in the village. Everybody respects you if you are a government official'.

More than the money a private sector job offers, every single person preferred a government job that gave them respect and deference from society.

I met a person who resigned from his private sector job when his seniors were fired, and used his provident fund money to prepare for a government job!

My interactions were with those who went to the coaching centres to prepare for the exam, and I found that they were disillusioned and frustrated with their private sector jobs. The working hours were very long and there was a lot of stress at the workplace.

They felt a government job would give them a better lifestyle.

You said at the beginning that you did the study to understand unemployment. After the study, what did you find out about India's labour market and the unemployment scene?

The major takeaway is that youngsters want to avoid the private sector labour market if they can.

That's why many people are sitting on the sidelines in the labour market.

If you look at those who are 35 plus, you see less unemployment.

Most unemployment is concentrated among those who are in their 20s as they are looking for something that will change their lives for the better.

Instead of blaming them, we should try to find out why the private sector job market is unattractive to young people.

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Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com