Ranchi: The unemployment situation in Jharkhand has reached such alarming levels that young individuals with degrees ranging from graduation to postgraduation, and even PhDs, are lining up for watchman jobs. The state is witnessing a lack of new industries and major projects, which has resulted in fierce competition even for small positions. A clear example of this was the watchman recruitment exam held in Ranchi on Sunday. A large number of candidates appeared for the exam at 15 centers across the city.
At Ursuline School on Purulia Road, many candidates who emerged from the exam appeared quite satisfied. When asked about it, they mentioned that the questions were of the 10th-grade level, and given that they had completed their PG or even PhD, they felt happy to have been able to manage the exam.
When speaking to 50 candidates across four centers, it was revealed that 40 of them had qualifications of at least a graduate level. Among them, 26 were postgraduates, and eight had completed NET or even PhDs. When asked why they were applying for a watchman position after such advanced qualifications, the response was, “We’ve been giving exams for years but haven’t found success. Our age is advancing, so any job now would be a blessing.”
Although this watchman exam was specifically meant for 10th-grade pass candidates, only about 10 candidates out of the total were actually 10th or intermediate pass.
In Ranchi, a total of 6,672 admit cards were issued for 295 watchman positions, but only 4,978 candidates appeared for the exam. This means there were, on average, more than 17 candidates vying for a single position. Nearly 70% of the candidates were graduates or had higher qualifications. The large crowds at various exam centers like Sant Anna, Ursuline, and St. John Schools clearly highlighted the extent of the unemployment crisis in Jharkhand.