Job crisis in Uttar Pradesh: 3,700 PhD holders, among other over-qualified candidates, apply for peon jobs

When educated people with PhDs are applying in large numbers for peon jobs in a region, it is a strong indication of a job crisis. This is what is happening in Uttar Pradesh, where PhD holders, post graduates, among 93,000 candidates, are applying for peon jobs. The post which requires a minimum eligibility of Class 5 now has applicants which include 3,700 PhD holders, 50,000 graduates and 28,000 post graduates, who have applied for 62 posts of messengers in Uttar Pradesh police, according to The Economic Times. [caption id=“attachment_4308423” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters.[/caption] The only criteria to apply for the post of a peon requires the candidate to know how to ride a bicycle. However, the police department, considering the huge stock of over-qualified applicants, has decided to conduct a selection process for the post that has been lying vacant for 12 years. The exam includes reasoning, general knowledge and mathematics to test the skills of candidates. According to officials, the high-paying post with a starting salary of Rs 20,000 per month caught the attention of the candidates. Labour and Employment minister Swami Prasad Maurya had told the Uttar Pradesh legislative council on Wednesday that there are more than 21 lakh registered unemployed people in the state. Replying to a question raised by Congress legislator Deepak Singh during Question Hour, Maurya had said, “The number of jobs in the government sector are limited, while in the private sector the numbers are very high. The state government organised Investors’ Summit in February this year, and in a span of four months projects worth Rs 60,000 crore have started. If the conditions are favourable, then we will give jobs to 33 lakh persons.” With inputs from PTI