I recently came across the news of Tejashwi Yadav’s ambitious electoral promise in Bihar: one government job for every household. On the surface, it’s a powerful and alluring message. It speaks directly to the deepest anxieties of millions—the yearning for stability, a steady income, and the dignity that comes with employment. The desire for a secure job is universal, a fundamental need for a life of purpose.
However, while the intention may be noble, I find myself questioning the very foundation of such a promise. Is guaranteeing government jobs the most effective or sustainable path to prosperity? It feels like an answer from a previous era, a solution designed for a world that is rapidly disappearing.
This brings me to a thought I have returned to many times over the decades. The core idea I've wanted to convey is that we must look forward, not backward, for solutions. I had brought up this need for a new economic vision years ago. I had predicted the challenges of employment in a changing world, and I had proposed solutions focused on empowering individuals and industries, not just expanding the government workforce. Seeing this promise from Tejashwi Yadav, it's striking how relevant those earlier insights still are. It renews a sense of urgency to revisit ideas that foster genuine economic dynamism.
The Flaw in the Promise
A government job is seen as the ultimate security, but a state's economy cannot be sustained by turning a majority of its households into government employees. This approach risks creating a bloated bureaucracy, stifling private enterprise, and placing an unsustainable burden on the state's finances. The real engine of growth has always been the private sector, particularly the agile and innovative MSMEs.
Years ago, I wrote about the critical need to support MSMEs, which are the backbone of our economy (Re: Making Indian MSMEs globally competitive). Instead of promising government jobs, what if the focus was on enabling one entrepreneur per household? What if we provided the capital, training, and infrastructure for small businesses to flourish? That is where true, sustainable employment is created—jobs that produce value, drive innovation, and build wealth for the entire community.
A World of New Opportunities
Furthermore, the very nature of work is undergoing a seismic shift. As I reflected recently on the rise of AI-powered chatbots (Chatbots - some for businesses - some for celebrities), it's clear that many traditional jobs will be automated. Promising a government job today might be like promising a career as a blacksmith in the age of the automobile.
Our focus should be on preparing the workforce for the jobs of tomorrow, not locking them into the structures of yesterday. We need to be thinking about skilling, reskilling, and creating ecosystems where new industries can thrive. I once predicted the emergence of entirely new industries, like those based on wireless power transmission (A wireless future , predicted 34 years ago !). These are the kinds of forward-thinking bets we should be making.
While I understand the political appeal of Tejashwi Yadav's promise, I believe it is a vision limited by the past. The path to a prosperous Bihar—and a prosperous India—lies not in expanding the state's payroll, but in unleashing the entrepreneurial spirit of its people and building an economy fit for the 21st century.
Regards,
Hemen Parekh
Of course, if you wish, you can debate this topic with my Virtual Avatar at : hemenparekh.ai
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