DNA Special: Is the problem of unemployment incurable in Bihar?

A video has surfaced from Patna, the capital of Bihar, where an unemployed youth of Bihar is lying on the road helpless. The one who is beating this young man with a stick is KK Singh, Additional District Magistrate, Patna. In the intoxication of the power of his post, the magistrate is raining his lathi. The youth was holding the tricolour in his hand.

This young man had crossed the barricading with the tricolor in his hand and sat on the road. He started accusing the government of cheating the unemployed. Seeing the young man waving the tricolor, the cameras of the media turned towards him, then the eyes of the ADM also fell on that young man. Seeing the young man talking to the media, his anger exploded.

All this happened when a protest was being held at Dak Bungalow crossroads in Patna regarding the recruitment of teachers for the seventh phase, where about 5,000 unemployed youth who have passed STET and BTET were demonstrating. For the last three years, these unemployed youth have already demonstrated many times for their appointment.

After 8 years in Bihar, in January 2020, the State Teachers Eligibility Test examinations were held, which were conducted in offline mode. But it was canceled after reports of fraud surfaced at some centres. After this, there were re-exams in September 2020, then these exams were online. The youths who passed the examination allege that they have not yet received the appointment letters. For the last two years, only assurance is being given from the government.

The disease of unemployment appears to have become incurable in Bihar. Here are some statistics.

- The unemployment rate in Bihar was 18.8 percent in July, which is more than double the country's unemployment rate of 7.7 percent.

- Data from the National Career Service Portal shows that the number of unemployed youth in Bihar has tripled in the last one year.

- There are 14,15,914 registered unemployed in Bihar, these are the youths who have registered themselves for jobs.

- In Bihar, the number of unemployed youth is more than two and a half lakhs.

However, there is no dearth of vacant posts in government departments of Bihar.

- According to the National Career Service Portal, 2,75,255 posts are vacant in Bihar.

- The maximum number of vacant posts in Bihar is in the Education Department where 1,80,000 posts are lying vacant for teachers. 

- A total of 47,099 posts are vacant in the police department, this figure is 34 percent of the total sanctioned posts.

- More than fifty percent of government doctors in Bihar, about 6565 posts are vacant.

- Apart from this, more than 50,000 posts are vacant in the health department.

- Bihar government figures that more than 1 lakh posts are lying vacant in secretariat and district offices.

That is, there is no dearth of employment opportunities in Bihar. The shortfall is in the intention of the government. 

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