Maryam Banoo (name changed) has pursued Master of Arts (MA) in English literature from University of Kashmir with more than 70 percent marks. She has pursued a B. Ed degree also with flying numbers. With all her edification and qualifications, Maryam has now recruited at a Class-IV level job in the recently declared District Service Selection Recruitment Board (DSSRB) Kargil, results in Union Territory of Ladakh. The scanty employment opportunity in the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir and current Ladakh Union Territory had strained Maryam since many years. Amidst, all her stress and concerns for livelihood, the selection at Class IV level job has realized as a last resort to her carrier. In such a tough competition where a huge number of highly qualified aspirants are applying for entry-level jobs, Maryam said, “Something is better than nothing”. Till her selection as Class IV, Maryam was teaching at a private high school with a scanty stipend that was insufficient to meet her necessities.

Haseena Batool (name changed) was also among the aspirants who were selected for Class IV job in the DSSRB results. She has pursued M. Sc. In Food Science and Technology from University of Kashmir. Apart from that, she has completed a B. Ed degree from distance mode. During her Post Graduation she also secured a scholarship as she obtained good marks in examination.

From among thousands of other aspirants Maryam and Haseena were lucky enough to enlist their names in the selection list. However, they were not that lucky as they failed to push their name in the selection list of the General Line Teacher for which both of them had expected. Since years both the female aspirants had waited for an admirable job in par with their qualification but the government disappointed both of them. After all they had no choice except to embrace the Class-IV.

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Similarly, a huge number of Post-Graduate, Graduate degree holders and even M. Phil scholars reportedly have been recruited for the Class-IV level jobs. Unlike other parts of India, Kargil is a caste-less society where all jobs are dignified and equal; but Social observers believe that recruitment of PG level students at 10+2 grade job is wastage of skill, time and human resource. However, this undoubtedly reflects the lack of job opportunities suitable to qualification of the aspirants.

To gather the actual number of Post-Graduation and Graduation level students that have been recruited against the 10+2 level Class IV jobs, we contacted the authorities in district Kargil. They had no information on the higher studies of the selected candidates, as the recruitment authority had sought data for only 10+2 level from the aspirants. If we had the actual data on their qualification, we could have estimated the actual loss in terms of skilled and qualified human resources.

The huge number of aspirants against the jobs of class IV, teacher, driver, patwari is a syndrome of soaring unemployment in the district that has only around 1.5 lac population. The number of aspirants applied for the post of Class IV was 13878 among which around 300 have been selected. For the post of driver advertisement notice No: 01 of 2014 dated 19.07.2014 around one hundred aspirants had applied against nine posts. In response to advertisement Notice No: 02 of 2018 Dated: 15.03.2018 for 57 posts of General Line Teacher 3533 aspirants had applied. For the post of Patwari 2245 aspirants had examined themselves against 11 number of posts.

When renowned economist and social thinker Amartya Sen speaks about “The Country of First Boys” he reflects on the brilliant students who manage to get a qualified job in reputed companies outside India. He deliberates on the “actual presence of Indians (first boys) in leading positions in Western academia, management, administration, literature, medical practice, engineering, and scientific and technological research”. However, he missed to mention huge mass of the “first boys” and girls like Maryam and Haseena who performed well in their studies throughout their academic life. In the aftershock they were recruited for jobs that are far below their educational qualification and technical skills.

The recruitment of overqualified candidates for entry-level and class IV jobs creates malfunctioning in places where they are recruited. As per reports, after recruitment they refuse to work in their capacity due to their self-image of overqualification. In 2008 the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir had fixed maximum qualification limits for those applying for Class IV jobs in the State. Explaining its dilemma, a senior officer was quoted as saying that “if we select them, it is difficult to make them work, say, as orderlies”. Unconfirmed reports say that overqualified employees recruited as Class IV had staged a protest at district hospital Kargil refusing to work for which they are recruited.

It is not totally the government to blame for not generating employment opportunities. The candidates who are equipped PG courses in various field could have become job creators rather than job seekers. Here, the rapacity for snugly occupations brings all in race for government jobs. Secondly, the candidates lack proper awareness of job opportunities and government schemes in different fields that would help them in creating jobs, instead of seeking jobs. However, question over employment generation by the government authorities remains still.

As per a data provided by Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) the unemployment rate in the country stood at 39.4% in 2019-20. According to the CMIE, the erstwhile State of J&K, of which Ladakh was a part, had the highest monthly average unemployment rate of over 15% between January 2016 and July 2019 which was more than double the national monthly average unemployment rate of 6.4% during the period. The Statistical Handbook 2018-19 of district Kargil shows 2856 unemployed youth, which is obviously not the actual image. The number of youths that have applied against the Class IV job is more than 13000, which means the unemployment rate is much higher than what the District Statistics and Evaluation Office has recorded.

In the aftermath of division of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir, it is responsibility of the Ladakh Union Territory administration to generate sufficient employment opportunities for youth of the region. Unconfirmed reports revealed that contractual jobs in the newly formed UT have been filled with outsiders rather than giving preference to the unemployed local Ladakhi youth. Even some contractual jobs have been recruited through contractors and firms that might not give preference to the locals.

To realise the resplendent employment generation promises of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the UT administration has to dedicatedly work considering the ground realities. District Kargil and Leh with their autonomous development authorities have a very small population. With a proper long-term plan/ scheme to eradicate poverty and unemployment, these issues can be resolved easily. Providing the small population, schemes can be implemented easily in the region. The UT Administration should immediately take consideration of the unemployment issue on priority to provide first boys and girls of the Ladakh UT proper quality job opportunity.