Have you ever wondered why do most Indians prefer to settle abroad? According to reports from the United Nations (2015), over 244 million people live in countries outside their countries of birth. In this context it is important to note that Indians make up the largest diaspora population in the world. Over 16 million NRIs live in countries outside India.
As of 2013, reports from the United States said that there were over 2 million Indian-born immigrants in the country. If we include Americans of Indian descent, this number comes up to 4 million. 2015 reports from the UK also paint a similar picture. The data says that over 7.4 lakh Indians now live in the UK.
Okay. Here’s a fact to get you started on this article:
‘The Current rate of Unemployment in India is the highest in the last 20 years.’
For a developing country that India is, increasing unemployment rate is indeed one of the biggest concerns. According to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) research report, 11 million jobs were lost in 2018 alone, which pushed the unemployment rate higher. The State of India’s Environment (SoE) 2019 also expressed concern about the unemployment rate has become twice in the last two years. That is an increase of 4% to 7.9% from May 2017 to April 2019.
Despite India being one of the largest growing economies, job creation opportunities are still amiss. And it’s not the lack of educational skills because of which people are unable to find a job. India has the highest number of educated unemployment, which means the people who have enough knowledge, skills, and expertise are bereft of employment opportunities.
There are qualified graduates, post-graduates, and even Ph.D. degree holders who do not have jobs as per their skills. Our labor market has 55 million people who have their graduate degree, of which 9 million are unemployed. Most of the Indians who get a job don’t get enough wages. They work for hours and receive payment in peanuts. Even after getting degrees from renowned universities and paying a huge amount of fees, they end up earning a salary equivalent or lesser than the labor class.
The scenario is worst for engineers. India has thousands of engineering colleges and universities offering varied courses for all fields of engineering. The 4-year program sucks away a student’s time and money, and yet they are deprived of all the employment opportunities. 80% of engineers have to work on a package lesser than 1.5 lakhs per annum. Aren’t the numbers horrifying?
India’s Worthless University Degrees and the lousy Education System
Employment experts and education ministers in India have often expressed their concerns over the education system. Some have changed the curriculum and some are still talking about changing the scenario soon.
But here’s what we all know: Acche Din Won’t Come
Unemployment is a result of lousy schooling. India’s education curriculum is all about getting marks. An Indian professor’s responsibility is to cover the entire syllabus prescribed by the University. This leaves no or little time for debates, discussions, and real-time practical classes. There is no leeway to what is taught, how the education is imparted, and how it is evaluated. India also has a lack of resources to have a project-oriented system. So, we go for the lectures, notes, and paper-based examination.
This leaves Indian Graduates in two conditions:
- They either don’t have the required skills and expertise to go for high paying jobs (because obviously, the screening process in those companies are no match to what the students learn in their classrooms).
- They end up going for low-paying jobs because those companies are only looking for cheap labor and those employment opportunities have very less to do with skills.
People can get all the education they want, but if they are not taught practical skills, nobody will hire them. Ironically, only 55% of college students are employed and arts- commerce graduates are only 30% employed. It is easy to get a temporary job but much tricky to get a stable, permanent one.
Lack of Employment Opportunities = Brain Drain to Foreign Lands
A lot of people express their concern over Indians moving abroad. A wide number of qualified graduates, Engineers, Doctors, and professionals from all the fields are choosing UK, USA, and Germany instead of staying in India.
Do I have to explain why they are doing so?
It’s because of the limited employment and growth opportunities in India. Why would people move away from their land if it offered them a decent chance to make a living?
Countries like UK, USA, Canada, and Germany are almost every Indian Graduate’s dream, destination because in there, they have the chance to live a better life.
Also read: Is it Worth Coming on Job Seekers Visa, Germany?
In the last decade, the Brain drain from India is happening at an alarming rate. India continues its trend of being one of the top countries for the immigration of engineers and scientists and entrepreneurs too.
Why a lot Of Indian Graduates are Moving to Germany?
Higher Wages
Here again, the employment opportunities are the biggest reason. Even the graduate students in a German Country have plenty of work opportunities like internships, student jobs, part-time, and full-time employment. These jobs don’t only provide the students with financial support, but also valuable experience of a lifetime. Germany also has a large variety of family-owned business, companies that are known throughout the world for their precision, technical specialization, quality, and traditional operation.
They are offering wages ten times higher than the average salary of an engineer earning in India.
Work-Life Balance
And it’s not only the paycheck that is attracting but the work-life balance too. Working hours are 8 am to 5 pm. That’s all it is. You don’t have to answer your boss’s phone in the middle of the night and rush to work whenever summoned. You can refuse overtime request, or do it by getting more amount. To top it all, you get 20 paid holidays per year. Plus, the sick leaves.
Healthcare & Social Security
We all know how terrible India’s public healthcare system is. Public Healthcare in countries like Germany is not only advanced with first-class management but is affordable too. The healthcare system in Germany is funded by statutory contributions ensuring free healthcare for all. And yes, there are qualified doctors. You’ve to pay for healthcare insurance from your taxes, but this assures that you won’t go bankrupt if you fall ill or get into an accident.
Quality of life
You can’t miss talking about the quality of life in Germany. The standard of living is high but there’s a lot that can be included in this aspect. First of all, you don’t have to worry about waterlogging, electricity cut downs, traffic jams, and pollution. It all combines to a life every person deserves to live.
Labour is valued
Even if you are a waiter here or driver or a security guard, you have respect. Nobody judges your profession. My professor used to be a waitress in a bar back in her twenties. She share many of her experiences. Imagine this happening in India? She would be frowned upon.
End Points
Yes, India is facing a major problem of Brain Drain. And people who are doing so are not less-patriotic than the ones who are staying in their homeland. These people are moving for a better lifestyle and better opportunities. Germany is not always the most preferred destination for Indians but it is still a favorite because acquiring a German Visa is indeed less troublesome than acquiring an American or British Visa. If you got questions regarding settling in Germany/USA, use the comment section below.
The educated unemployment in India
Unemployment is a significant problem in India. Its rate is increasing rapidly every year as people having a graduate or post-graduate degree can’t find a job. This phenomenon is called educated unemployment. It happens when you are qualified enough, but not lucky enough to grab the vacancies in time. It occurs when a person is willing to work but cannot find a job that suits him for his living. The State of India’s Environment (SoE) 2019 states that the rate of unemployment has become twice in the last two years. That is an increase of 4% to 7.6% from May 2017 to April 2019. Unemployment in rural areas was also at the peak in April 2019.
Due to the lack of educational skills, people are unable to find a job where they can apply their low-level knowledge. It makes them unqualified for a job. Another kind of unemployment is getting a job but not getting enough wages as needed. This occurs due to unstable Economics of the country. It is also responsible for reducing the employment rate as people are not up for working in a no or low wage job. Our labour market has 55 million people who have their graduate degree, of which 9 million are unemployed. It will be hard to imagine India getting better with such a large amount of unemployed youth.
Many graduates and postgraduates end up being unemployed for a long time. The largest population of youth is in our country, India. 65% of the total population is below age 35; it remarkably affects the financial market and economic situation in India. If the rate keeps on increasing, then there will come at a time will people will stop believing in the education system to get a job. So, it is essential to create awareness about this and make changes now for a better India.
Why India has a high number of educated unemployed people?
The graduate unemployment rate was 9% even after a year of getting a degree in 2008. This is a significant concern as it arises question on our education system. Unemployment on such a large scale does not depend on one single phenomenon. There are many factors responsible for it. There can be reasons from a significant level, like population increase and slow economic growth to a secondary level like a joint family business. It is crucial to understand the reasons behind unemployment then only better solutions can come to give a sustainable livelihood to everyone.
Unemployment is a result of lousy schooling and the lack of sufficient jobs. People can get all the education they want, but if they are not taught practical skills, nobody will hire them. Ironically, 55% of college students are employed and arts- commerce graduates are only 30% employed. It is easy to get a temporary job but much tricky to get a stable, permanent one.
Some significant causes of unemployment are:
1. Population growth
India is a vast country that has 1.3 billion population of people, which is second to China. It is estimated that India’s population will cross China’s population by the 2024 year. Predictably India will become the most populated country in the 21st century. If employment growth does not increase with the rate of the increasing population, then there can be a huge economic disaster in the coming years.
2. Caste system
The caste system affects various aspects of a person’s life in India, and its major drawback is unemployment. For particular caste, they are not allowed to do a certain kind of job in some places. It creates a range of employment in one caste community and a variety of abundant unemployment in other. And those who truly deserve the job they are left behind just because of their caste.
3. Slow industrial growth
Industrial growth can majorly improve the economy. Sometimes this universal phenomenon can have a relatively slow growth rate. When the industry is in full extension, it produces job opportunities. If it is unable to provide the estimated number of jobs as compared to the increasing population and their demands, then it will be of no profit.
4. Slow economic growth
Indian economy is one of the most underdeveloped economies in the world because its growth rate is considerably slower. Which means that the economy cannot keep up with the demands of increasing population and will not be able to provide enough employment. As a result, people won’t find work, which causes insufficient employment countrywide.
5. Joint family system
This kind of unemployment is termed as ‘disguised’ as it contributes to low productivity. Some people depend on their large family businesses and do not add to any other substantive work. It can be beneficial for those who cannot do any other job and get support from their family business.
6. Immobility
Due to attachment and maintenance of the family, many people avoid going outside to search for new jobs. They don’t like long-distance travel for jobs, which makes them lose some best chances. Many people are skilled and talented enough to pursue a career but cannot reach the location; it also magnifies unemployment. Other reasons for immobility are culture, language, religion and climate concerns.
Life through the limbo period
It is the amount of period which people have to wait to get sufficient jobs. For a significant period, people are unemployed because of no vacancies available. Many factors influence people like mental makeup, behaviour and actions in the limbo period, for example, treatment given by families and also the financial status. People still believe college education can open doors for a promising future career, but even with a degree in hand, they continue to remain closed. This creates frustration and resentfulness in youth, which restricts them for applying to jobs.
Risks due to unemployment
• Unemployment leads to poverty
• If people are unemployed for a long time, then they are attracted to the wrong path to earn money
• Our youth can get stressed and depressed because of this problem
• Youngsters are motivated towards drugs and alcohol and even think about suicide is the last option
• Less economic growth
India can stop unemployment?
Two reasons for unemployment are when a person is not educated enough to approve for the job or if he is skilled but cannot find vacancies. Many graduates, like doctors and engineers, are unemployed or still seeking work. Recommended options to control unemployment are:
1. Control in rising population- Government should inspire people to have small families, and then there will be gradual control in population.
2. Improvement in education quality- Students should be taught knowledge about the practical work they will do and not just the syllabus because it is of no use to industries.
3. They should join proper training institutes, which gives them correct guidance for their future jobs.
4. The government should make the agriculturally based industry so that people in rural areas can find employment.
5. Development in rural areas will encourage people to stay there and do the job instead of migrating outside.
6. There should be more Rapid industrialization.
This is so true. They should actually think and work on it for their own future