BALLARI: We’ve all heard of the horrors involved in searching for a job, especially for fresh graduates. Over the past few years, several instances of people applying for jobs which require much lesser qualifications than they possess, have come to light.
A case in 2016, in which 19,000 postgraduates, graduates and other degree holders applied to become safai karamcharis (sweepers), in a town in UP, is being repeated in Karnataka, with a small twist. Unable to find employment that matches their educational qualifications, the youth of Hiremallanahalli in Hoovinahadagali taluk, are now applying to become workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). Ironically, the village is part of the assembly segment represented by the state’s skill development minister, PT Parameshwara Naik.
While Karnataka boasts of having one of the lowest unemployment figures across the country, 1.2% according to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, this piece of news does nothing to raise the spirits of residents of Hiremallanahalli, who seem to have resigned themselves to not finding jobs commensurate with their level of education.
Every morning, U. Garudappa, with 20 others from his village, waits for a pick-up vehicle which will take him to the day’s worksite. Garudappa holds a Postgraduate degree in Political Science from the Vijayanagara Sri Krishnadevaraya University and even has a gold medal for his efforts. All of this made no difference in his job search however, as he ended up as an MNREGS worker, after spending months on a fruitless mission to secure a job.
Halagur Suresh is another casualty of the state’s job shortage. A guest faculty at the Hagaribomanahalli Government College for a few years, the dwindling number of students opting for arts stream courses led to his being asked to leave. He now works beside Garudappa daily.
“We tried taking up competitive examinations, but we could not afford it. It is the poverty and necessity to work and keep the family running, we take up these jobs. Nobody wants people who have studied arts,” said Suresh, speaking to The New Indian Express.
Being located in a dry belt, the village stares at severe water scarcity and even people who own land often opt for the MNREGS to supplement their income. “I have an old mother and a younger brother. I need to look after them. My older brother is married and has his own family. My mother and I work as coolies. I will work here until I get a job,” Suresh said. Hiremallanahalli has a population of around 1500, with around 700-800 houses. Most youth in the village are educated and most of them are unemployed.