Between hope and hardship: Why are millions of youth chasing government jobs?

India’s youth continue to overwhelmingly chase government jobs for stability, prestige, and benefits, despite limited vacancies and intense competition. This has created a crisis of “aspirational stagnation,” where candidates spend years preparing for exams with selection rates often below 1%, incurring high financial, social, and psychological costs. Systemic failures like recruitment delays and paper leaks deepen the problem, while cultural narratives glorify sarkari employment as the only respectable career path. Addressing this requires timely and transparent recruitment, career counselling, mental health support, and societal mindset shifts to value diverse career opportunities. Broadening aspirations is vital to enable youth to thrive.

Continue reading: https://www.siasat.com/between-hope-and-hardship-why-are-millions-of-youth-chasing-government-jobs-3250123/