Post-grads, MBAs among 17L in race for 17k Maha police constabulary jobs

PUNE: Instead of attending classes on Wednesday, Shreeniwas Ajabe, a 22-year-old final-year electronics and telecommunication engineering student at a deemed university, was at Pashan Police Grounds from 4am vying for a driver's position in the Pune Rural Police. The job, offering an average monthly salary of Rs30,000 along with a few perks, has become much sought after for many graduates and post-graduates.

Shreeniwas' job application is among a staggering 17.76 lakh from across Maharashtra submitted for 17,471 constabulary posts in the state, for which the minimum eligibility is a Class XII pass certificate. And among the applicants are candidates with postgraduate degrees as well.

The number of applicants vying for each vacancy in the force is quite high. For 41 bandsmen positions, there are 32,026 applications. This translates into 781 applications for every seat - highest among all the positions offered. The maximum vacancies, 9,595, are in the police constable post, for which 8,22, 984 people have applied. Even for each prison constable position, there are 206 applications.

Experts said the overwhelming response "reflects the desperation of educated youth grappling with unemployment" and "dismal private-sector salaries".

The candidates also said uncertainties surrounding the Agniveer scheme for military forces and the job security in police roles, along with "the respect that the police uniform offers", are also the reasons for them applying for the jobs.

Shreeniwas said, "Job security is scarce now. So, I will try for all govt job exams. If I get selected, I will take up the job for now and keep trying for better employment. Till then, I will at least have something in hand."

Yogesh Borade from Jalgaon said he has a group of 25 friends, of whom 20 are in the Army. "However, I feel there is a bit of uncertainty there with all the confusions related to the Agniveer scheme. A police job is good because I will be in the state and get to wear the uniform. The job will also ensure medical insurance for me and my family," he said.

Sanket S, who has an MBA in finance, said the pull of security in a govt job and the love for the uniform made him apply for the police constable position. "There is a lot of uncertainty in corporate jobs, and even getting one is tough. I have attempted Army exams five times, but couldn't clear them," said Sanket.

Bharat Jadhav, who has a master's degree in economics, said, "I work in a private company in Shikrapur, but the pay is less. I am desperately trying for govt jobs to tide over financial stress at home."

After the physical test for a police driver's post in Pune, Rohit Sawatkar from Yavatmal has also applied for a constable's post in Nanded.

"I have to be in Nanded on Thursday. My family has no land, and my parents are labourers. Due to financial constraints, I couldn't go to college after Std XII. I am trying for a govt job so that my family gets a better chance at life."

Rajkumar Vhatkar, special inspector general (training), said there has always been high number of applications for police jobs. "The average salary even at the constable level is now above Rs30,000. Besides plus, there is free accommodation and medical insurance. So many people apply for the job because of two reasons- one is job security, and the other is the love for the uniform," said Vhatkar adding that they do not have any data on how many applicants are post-graduates.

Senior economist Ajit Ranade said, "This a phenomenon that we see all over India. Whenever there is an advertisement for a govt or semi-govt position, the number of people who apply are far more than the available vacancies. There are two reasons for this - it speaks about the high unemployment in the youth and govt jobs mean job security with medical insurance for the employees and their families. The biggest draw is health insurance."

He said, "A lot of people nowadays live above the poverty line. But one illness in family can wipe out all savings. So, health insurance is of prime importance. The candidates who apply even for the lowest positions are overqualified. Govt jobs are attractive because they pay well, they are secure and there's social security. According to the recent ILO-IHD report, they showed that among the unemployed, 83% are aged between 18 years and 29 years."


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