The Illusion of Government Jobs
I came across an editorial in the Hindustan Times that rightly called out the recent announcement by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to fill nearly half a million government jobs as a “bluff.” While the promise sounds magnificent, it is, in reality, a mirage in the desert of Bihar's struggling economy. It's a political solution offered for a deep-rooted economic problem, one that fails to address the underlying crisis of unemployment and lack of private investment.
The situation is a stark reminder of a question I have pondered for years: Is a large youth population a dividend or a demon? In a blog post titled "Population : Demographic Dividend or a Demon ?", I explored this very dichotomy. Bihar provides a sobering answer. When a state fails to create an ecosystem for private enterprise and industrial growth, its demographic potential sours into a burden. The youth, left with few options, either migrate or chase the elusive dream of a secure government job, a sector that simply cannot absorb the sheer number of aspirants.
This is the core of the issue. The promise of government jobs, while appealing, is unsustainable. It doesn't build an economy; it merely expands the state's payroll, often at the cost of productive investment. What Bihar truly needs is not more clerks, but more factories, more startups, and a thriving service sector. It needs policies that make it an attractive destination for capital, not just a source of labor for other states.
As I've written before, the world is being reshaped by technology and AI, a theme I touched upon in "AI applications for executives & entrepreneurs". The conversation we should be having is about skilling Bihar's youth for the jobs of the 21st century. Instead, the political discourse remains stuck in a bygone era, dangling the carrot of state employment as the ultimate prize. This isn't just a failure of policy; it's a failure of imagination.
Mr. Nitish Kumar's announcement may win votes, but it won't build futures. The young people of Bihar deserve more than a mirage. They deserve a real, sustainable economic vision that turns their potential into prosperity.
Regards,
Hemen Parekh
Of course, if you wish, you can debate this topic with my Virtual Avatar at : hemenparekh.ai
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