NEW DELHI — A troubling trend is taking root across Assam, where a generation of educated youth has found itself caught in a prolonged cycle of unemployment driven by an almost singular focus on securing government jobs. Despite holding degrees and diplomas, thousands of young Assamese are spending their twenties — and in many cases their thirties — endlessly appearing for competitive examinations conducted by state and central agencies, only to remain jobless year after year.
The pattern is familiar and deeply frustrating. Students complete their education with the expectation that a government position will provide stability and prestige. They enroll in coaching centres across Guwahati and other towns, dedicate hours daily to preparation, and appear for exams conducted by bodies such as the Assam Public Service Commission,Staff Selection Commission, and various bank recruitment boards. Rejection after rejection follows, yet the allure of a permanent government posting keeps them returning to the same path.
Sociologists and education experts point out that this fixation leaves young people ill-prepared for opportunities in the private sector or entrepreneurial ventures. The state's industrial base remains limited, and few large employers are willing to invest in a region where brain drain to metropolitan cities continues unabated. Meanwhile, those who do not secure coveted posts often find themselves lacking practical skills that the modern economy demands.
Family pressure compounds the problem. In Assamese households, a government job is still regarded as the ultimate measure of success, and parents frequently encourage their children to keep trying rather than explore alternatives. This cultural expectation means that even when private-sector opportunities arise, many young people turn them down, preferring to wait indefinitely for the sarkari naukeri that never seems to arrive.
Critics argue that the government too bears responsibility for maintaining an exam-centric hiring model that produces enormous applicant pools but absorbs very few. Some have called for diversifying recruitment and creating faster-track entry points into emerging sectors such as tourism, technology, and agriculture-based enterprises that could better absorb the state's youthful population.
