Large competitors have entered the market as a result of the growing demand for cram school classes, and Baksh sees it as a profitable and long-term venture. Lessons have also gone online.
The last nine years of Sunil Kumar’s 30-year-old life have been devoted to his pursuit of employment with the Indian government.
Seated among numerous others in improvised classrooms beneath tin roofs with insufficient light and ventilation, Kumar has devoted years to studying for an array of assessments, encompassing the esteemed civil services examination that is mandatory to secure employment as a federal government bureaucrat. In addition, he has taken two additional exams for lower level government jobs and applied for a provincial civil services post.
He has made thirteen tries to find employment without result.
Kumar, who lives in Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in the nation, says he won’t give up on applying for government jobs until he turns 32, which is three years before he must compete in a civil services examination.
“Working for the government offers greater security,” remarked Kumar. “If it happens in 2-3 years, the struggle of 10 years will be worth it.”
Government statistics show that between 2014 and 2022, 220 million persons applied for federal positions, with 722,000 of those applicants being chosen. Even though the economy is prospering and the private sector is growing, tens of millions of young Indians still aspire to work for the government each year. Many of those would have been repeat attempts.
The trend highlights the concerns that many Indians have about their culture and economy. Even though we are living in the largest economy in the world with the greatest rate of growth, many people are struggling to find work in an unstable labour market. In the most populous country in the world, many people view positions in the government as more secure than those in the private sector.
“A family feels permanently settled if one member of the family secures a government job,” stated Zafar Baksh, who operates a training centre for individuals preparing for government employment exams.
Over a hundred people were killed last week in nearby Bangladesh as a result of student protests over reserved quotas in government positions.
India’s GDP increased from $2 trillion in 2014 to around $3.5 trillion in the April–March fiscal year 2023–24, and it is predicted to grow by 7.2% this year.
The candidates claim that the government provides housing, health benefits, pensions, and lifelong security—things they might not be able to obtain in a private job. Although few will acknowledge it, there is a chance to make money behind closed doors in many government positions.
According to Baksh, who views the cram school industry as a viable and long-lasting venture, the growing demand for the programmes has drawn major companies, and teachings have also gone online.
“There will always be demand.”
Too few high-quality jobs
Analysts attributed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party’s inability to secure a majority on its own in the April–May general election to dissatisfaction about job prospects, which is why the party was able to retake power only with the backing of partners.
According to government figures provided this month, India has created 20 million new jobs annually since 2017–18. However, private economists claim that a large portion of these jobs are temporary farm hiring and self-employment rather than formal positions paying a salary.
Nomura stated in a note this month that the administration, which will deliver the first budget after the election next week, is likely to promote job creation by offering tax breaks for new manufacturing facilities and by promoting local procurement in a variety of industries, including defence. But employment from these will not come quickly.
Rosa Abraham, an assistant professor at Azim Premji University in Bengaluru, stated, “It’s not just that there aren’t enough jobs out there, it’s also that there aren’t enough jobs that pay well and give you security of tenure and other benefits.”
Working in the private sector is Pradeep Gupta’s “last option” since he intends to secure a position in the government at the age of 22.
In the expanding hub of cram schools, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, he stated, “There is honour, job security, and less pressure” in a government position.
Earlier this year, the Uttar Pradesh police force received about 5 million applications for 60,000 positions, and 4.7 million people applied for 26,000 constable positions in central government security organisations.
Another that offered candidates the chance to work as drivers and office boys at government agencies attracted over 2.6 million applications in 2023 for roughly 7,500 vacancies.
The Indian National Congress, the primary opposition party in India, has claimed that there are approximately 6 million empty positions in all branches of government, including the armed forces, schools, health care, and the military.
The federal government did not respond to an email requesting information on jobs and employment opportunities.
Well-run company
This has meant successful business for Maroof Ahmed, who has been operating a cram school in Prayagraj since 2014.
He claims that his academy currently has five branches and tutors between 25,000 and 30,000 students annually through both in-person and online classes.
Success rates, or the percentage of people who get jobs, are low—between 5 and 10%—but demand is still high, he said.
Since a large portion of the coaching sector is informal and unorganised, data on the number of such establishments nationwide was not available.
The demand for government positions, according to Rituparna Chakraborty, co-founder of staffing company TeamLease Services, is as much a reflection of attitudes about work as it is of the status of the Indian labour market.
“The private sector is based on meritocracy and responds to economic ups and downs,” she stated. “In the government sector, once you get a job, mostly irrespective of your performance, your future is secure.”