UP: Unemployment, Paper Leaks a Burning Issue for Job Aspirants in Prayagraj

Prayagraj: Stuck in a narrow, dingy bylane in the heart of the bustling Katra area of Prayagraj, formerly known as Allahabad, hemmed in by non-descript buildings, old structures with dilapidated walls, is a windowless eight-by-ten feet room in a fourth-storied structure. Sandeep Kumar has crammed his mattress, study table, books, coaching material, clothes, gas stove and other sundry things he needs to get by.

Several students preparing for different competitive examinations stay in this building. Each floor has one common toilet. About 95% of the aspirants cook for themselves. Others have engaged a tiffin delivery service. 

Sandeep Kumar (23), a graduate of Banaras Hindu University (BHU), reached Prayagraj, the hub of private coaching for public sector exams that accommodates over 15 lakh students from all corners of the state.

Sandeep Kumar making lunch before going to his coaching. 

“This place where we envision ourselves obtaining a government job, day and night. It is our ultimate goal,” says Kumar, who is preparing for Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams. Son of a farmer, Sandeep, has come to Prayagraj from Nokha village of Rohtas district in Bihar, around 300 km away, spending not less than Rs 8,000 every month on chasing his dream.

Kumar thinks there is no social security in the private sector. Therefore, he wants to grab a government job to improve the financial condition and social status of his family. He is upset that ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has failed to provide  two crore jobs as it promised during its election campaign in 2014.

When asked why unemployment is an election issue, Deepak Kumar (28), another UPSC aspirant, said, “For me, finding a job is more than just a career because many students from my native village will be inspired and motivated to pursue higher education to get a job. If I don't get a job, I will have to return to my village and work as a daily labourer, like most of my friends in the village are doing.”

“I have been travelling to my hometown in Bihar quite often and found that unemployment is a big concern in every nook and corner. Paper leaks are also an issue that’s troubled the youth, however, this is not as widespread in other states as in Uttar Pradesh,” Kumar, whose dream was to go to Delhi’s Mukherjee Nagar for preparation, but due to lack of money, he had to come to Prayagraj, told NewsClick. 

When questioned why government jobs were so important for youth, he said: “UP and Bihar are different from Gujarat, as there is no such large-scale industry here. Most students from rural areas come from economically weaker sections. They only dream of government jobs. They don't care about the private sector, as they feel there's no future in it. This perception got further reinforced by the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, during which millions of people lost their jobs in the private sector. From a rural perspective, only a "government job" seemingly offers a stable future.”

Recently, Prayagraj was one of the places where protests erupted over a paper leak in the review officer/assistant review officer (RO/ARO) Exam 2024 conducted by the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC). The UP government cancelled the examination on February 11, following reports of paper leaks.

Uttar Pradesh,, in December 2023 advertised for 60,244 posts of police constable, the lowest category of workforce under the state police force. More than 48.17 lakh aspirants filed the form to appear in the written test which took place at 2,385 centres across 75 districts on February 17 and 18.

The examination made headlines due to a massive influx of candidates amid charges of paper leaks and discrepancies. The UP government on February 24 cancelled the examination following allegations (f the paper leak.

A walk through the maze of ever-narrowing lanes and bylanes smelling of sewage in Baghara, Allapur, Salori, Teliarganj, Rajapur, Katra, Naini, Phaphamau and Allainganj areas of Prayagraj shows thousands of students entering or leaving their decrepit lodgings daily. They come from all corners of the state, some even from neighbouring states to study in hundreds of coaching institutes that populate these localities.

“Students from across UP, Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand pour in for coaching in Prayagraj, chasing their dreams of getting a government job, sometimes for years together,” says Arunesh Kumar, adding that he was tired of exams being put off again and again over “leaks” and was now nearing “over-age” to for the exams.

“There is no other option for us except to stay in such hellish conditions and prepare for exams,” he rues. “Majority of students come here from a rural background and live in such pathetic conditions for years to get a government job. But there is no government job. What to do?”

Sandeep and Arunesh's rooms, scarcely larger than a prison cell, are a testament to their resilience. Books line every available surface, their pages dog-eared and worn from countless hours of studies. A small gas stove occupies one corner, its steady flame a beacon of hope amidst the gloom. Clothes hang precariously from makeshift hooks.

As electioneering is at its peak, the question of unemployment is making rounds among the youths of Uttar Pradesh. Many aspirants who are coming to the city for higher education, mainly the major chunk who are pursuing education for government jobs, are on the verge of breaking down.

Allahabad is known as the "Oxford of the East" and it has been the central point for higher education among the student community across all regions of UP and neighbouring states.

The rural parts of UP are still facing scarcity of electricity and internet. Though the digitisation of all the examination processes has helped, the unavailability of internet access, library and mentors is forcing students to move to neighbouring cities.

The recent Human Development Index (HDI) report has raised serious concern over increasing unemployment in India. Uttar Pradesh has not seen growth in IT sector jobs or industries which makes it difficult for the youth of UP to find work even after a degree education, adding to their distress.

Pressure of Marriage on Female Applicants

In Prayagraj, the streets are filled with advertisements endorsing renowned "coaches" and showcasing the achievements of their former students. Saurabh Sheklar, manager of Ananya Coaching, a specialised prep school for exams, said:, "While the government may make grand announcements, the reality is that there are insufficient opportunities in the private sector", adding that “a majority of our students come from farming backgrounds, and for them, securing a public job remains the most viable path to upward social mobility, requiring only a limited investment.

Ashwini Singh (34), a native of Bajaha village in Azamgarh district arrived in Prayagraj in 2015 with hopes of joining as an officer. In her 10X10 feet room, she has been preparing for the UPPSC exam for the past six years. Her father works as an accountant in Kolkata and she is supported by her (married) sister for her studies. Speaking to NewsClick, she said, “For a girl, who is aspiring for a government job and putting 5-6 years to do so, it takes a lot, societal norms do not permit a girl to exceed certain age limit”

“Parents also pressure us to get married if we don't get a job,” she said. Several female government job seekers in the district shared similar concerns, ''For women here, jobs represent not only livelihood but also freedom and security,’’ they said.

The RO/ARO exam saw participation from over seven lakh aspirants. Ashwini was one of them. She was confident that had the papers not leaked, she would have easily cracked the exam.

“I have made six attempts. How many years will I try? I am a girl, and there is pressure from my family for marriage and here the paper is getting leaked. No recruitment has come in the past five years and even if it came, it got leaked,” a distraught Ashwini said.

Another aspirant Ragini Mishra of Rae Bareli was upset with the current regime, as she was told by her parents to return home from Prayagraj as “no vacancy” had been announced in five-six years.

“I have been preparing for the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) but no job has come out in five years, and even when the vacancy came, the paper got leaked. My father is a farmer and he was sending his hard-earned money so that I could become a government officer and improve the financial condition of my family. But now I have to return home because there is pressure on my family to get me married,” she told NewsClick.

Thousands of students staying in Prayagraj, who have been preparing for competitive examinations, feel the government should implement a transparent system in the recruitment examinations and conduct fair examinations without paper leaks, so that the eligible candidates do not suffer.

Considering the current situation in the country, livelihood and security are big election issues for these young aspirants preparing for competitive exams. The issue of question papers being leaked is grave and is turning into a big scam.

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath recently claimed  that the unemployment rate in the state was 6.2% in 2017-18 (under the Samajwadi Party government), which had come down to 2.4% today. However, the Centre for Monitoring the Indian Economy (CMIE), an independent think tank that publishes monthly and quarterly data bulletins on employment in India, suggests thar unemployment rate was 2.4% in the state when Adityanath took over as Chief Minister in March 2017.  

It appears that the 2.9% unemployment rate statistic comes from the April 2022 CMIE report, which  shows that when Adityanath assumed office, the unemployment rate was lower. Moreover, during the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020, the jobless rate rose to as high as 21.5%.