A Post Graduate Working As A Zomato Delivery Boy Highlights Lack Of Quality Jobs In The Country

In recent times, all of us must have come across news of how people who are PhD scholars and graduates are applying for certain jobs for which they are overqualified, in overwhelming numbers. Recently leaked data from the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) points out that how half of the workforce is currently unemployed and is not contributing to any economic activity. NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant refused to accept the NSSO data and said that enough number of jobs are being created but accepted that perhaps the government is “not creating high-quality jobs“. Like most of the individuals who are unaware of the crisis in the job market, Shouvik Dutta, a resident of Kolkata, was in for a shock when he realised that the person delivering his food order has a post-graduate degree in Commerce. Dutta then took to Facebook to speak about the incident and also about the job crisis and quality of jobs available in the country.

Probably the only time I regret ordering food from Zomato.

It was one of those usual checkouts ordering food when I was taken aback after I was updated the details of my delivery agent.

Meraj the same said, and below it was written POST GRADUATE IN COMMERCE

Soon a call came, “sir I have arrived”, gathering myself went to the front door to pick my food, as I noticed the man standing there with a wide smile on his face, he handed me the parcel.

Then happened the most embarrassing moment of my life. With folded hands, he said in a shaky voice-“Sir, ektu rating ta diea deben”(Sir, please give me the rating).

We had a quick chat where I got to know he was an M.Com graduate from Calcutta University and has also done PGDM in Finance or Investment banking or something similar.

What have we done to this country? What have we done to this state where a Master’s Graduate delivers food to the regular Undergraduate Teenager?

What message does it send?

This country needs to change. This State needs to change. Jobs need to be created, we are living through difficult times

This country needs to change.

It is about the quality of job for the skilled workforce

The above case shouldn’t be taken as a case where one looks down on delivery boy job or lack of dignity in certain jobs. No job is big or small, a delivery boy is to be respected as any white colour job holder. Even Zomato as a company gives the profile of its delivery boy, so we know them as a person, not someone who is just delivering our food.

However, adding on to this, one should also understand that a post-graduate in commerce, an engineer or an MBA is trained for a particular job. That person invests a certain time, money and effort to acquire them. If a person shifts to another profession out of choice, then it is a different ball game together. But shifting to a job, which at the maximum requires one to have completed 12th standard, out of lack of job opportunities, that is a worrisome trend.

Not just one post-graduate working as a delivery boy

What Dutta experienced is not a one-off incident. In fact, recently, about 4,000 students, mostly engineering graduates and MBAs have reportedly registered for as many as 14 sanitary workers job at the state assembly secretariat in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

According to Hindustan Times, a large number of applicants were not only engineering and MBA graduates but belonged to Commerce, Arts and Science streams. Moreover, admit cards were sent to around 3930 candidates. Out of the 14 vacant spots, 10 are designated for a sweeper’s role while 4 for sanitary workers at the Assembly Secretariat. Meanwhile, the salary for both was fixed at a slab of Rs 15,700 to Rs 50,000. While no qualification was mentioned, the posts did call for mandatory physical fitness.

This is not an isolated incident as, 54,230 graduates, 28,050 postgraduates and 3,740 PhD holders have applied for 62 posts of messenger peon at the telecom wing of the UP Police in August of 2018.

The Logical Indian hopes that the government take cognisance of the job situation and work towards combatting this problem.

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