“Hunting for Jobs”- in Jobless State

By Sanjenbam Jugeshwor Singh

It was in a small village about 27kms from capital state Imphal where my village school master taught me about the value and importance of education in life and society during my childhood days at Lower Primary Class. My master was born and brought up in that little village where no basic amenities like health care, educational Institutions, proper road & transport system, electricity, communication facilities were available at that time. He told me that he was about 7 to 8 years old when Second World War broke out and he termed it as “JAPAN LAN” According to him, he was greatly influenced in studies by the JAPAN LAN .So he started looking for educational Institute for study but he could not find any in the area so easily. Fortunately he had the chance of learning from gentlemen from Imphal who were posted for their official duties at the nearby small town (BIshnupur) that time.  

A few lines that still thrill me (which seems to be false but still true), told by my master is: Study regularly, read & study if you don’t ‘understand, reading & studying are the only means to gain knowledge to overcome all our ignorance. He further said, for a well-qualified & well-educated person, job will definitely come even if he doesn’t seek it. However it’s commonly versed these days that to get a Government job by a qualified person is not a pinch of salt. Yes, it’s very true, because, among our youths, very few are well qualified and well-educated but majorities are only certificate holders of any degree or course or class (if Im not mistaken) with no proper education. Will it be wrong to say that Prior to 1978-79, our education was excellent and of high quality? However the system in post 78-79 is very pathetic that the quality of education has been declined like anything? The system, instead of valued based turned into mark base or division based system. That time intermediate examination which was known as P.U.C was under Guwahati University with Question Bank system, then switched over to Manipur University with same pattern. In post foreigner issue in Manipur, education as well as examination system were completely chaotic and disorder with widespread epidemic of mass copying in the examination which spoiled few generations of our youths making them certificate holders with good division without education & any quality of certificate that they possessed ,which has been a burden for so call educated  unemployment. According to the latest report of employment exchange, nearly seven to eight lakhs so call educated or certificate holder youths have been registered in search of government jobs in Manipur. Nearly the same numbers of same category of youths are still not registered in the employment exchange. If it’s so, then out of 27/28 lakhs population of our tiny state nearly fourteen to fifteen lakhs educated youths might have been under unemployment. We can also calculate that how many youths pass matric, how many pass 10+2, how many graduates (in any stream or course), how many Master degree holders, how many PhD degree holders are produced each year. Yes, it’s increasing like uncontrollable flood in terms of thousands. Then, in this situation, will government be able to provide jobs to these people?  In a tiny state like our where resource mobilization is completely ignored by our leaders and elite intellectuals in spite of having abundant resources. As our leaders don’t have a clear cut vision in this aspect, establishing   factories, big industries for mass employment is still a dream that may not come true forever. Therefore  , providing or creating  100 jobs forgetting about 1000 jobs each year is still a leap service of our leaders, though few near and dear of these big shots are getting from back door. Isn’t it the origin of corruption, which is spreading like epidemic in our land? Isn’t it the root cause of emergence of job market?  Which makes many family slaves by selling out all their properties like paddy fields, residential lands, ornaments, jewelries  and whatever they have (this is known by everybody) just for a grade IV or III job and become like a culture. This is the sign of utmost degradation of our society. In this era of IT, orientation of our education is not turning towards the value base system rather continuing in mark or division base system. Because of this system our youths fails to compete with others in many competitions  of national levels like in SSC, Banking  service, UPSC, Railways & many more. If we are to go along with the present trend of globalization, we have to acuminate our youths, this will be possible only when we have a very good academic curriculum and education system. This could be one of the reason why our government has taken up “Go To School”-Mission, the result for which is yet to be known but while  waiting the output of this, we  better to avoid going towards  the graveyard.

Will it be wrong to say that with a handful of population, fighting for self-reliance or independence with arms may be a long way to go to reach the destination? Rather, we need a new form of revolution i.e “Education revolution” to mold & prepare   our youths a defect free, high quality human capital & intellect so that we can go along with the fast moving race of globalization, otherwise I don’t think, no law or legality can save and protect us from extinction. People also started asking: how the schemes of startup & skill development are doing? How many people will be able to developed highly skilled human capital in this land of no work culture & irresponsible, worthless (majority not all), corrupt leaders? How many people will be benefited and provide jobs under these schemes? Will these schemes be successful in this state? What have been made in Manipur, under make in India Project? It’s also voiced from different angles that there is no sign of implementing these schemes properly in the right way for the fruitful results. Unless every one of us involve ourselves to build up a strong and high quality education in the Education Revolution for exorbitant products ,the burden of unemployment will still continue to exist

(Writer can be reached to:sjugeshwor7@gmail.com)