In a country where getting into Harvard or NASA might actually be easier than securing a coveted government job, it’s official: India’s true national sport isn’t cricket, it’s writing competitive exams.
Chartered Accountant and Educator Meenal Goel recently put India’s obsession with sarkari naukri (government jobs) under a (statistically rigorous) microscope.
And the prognosis? Grim—unless your idea of fun is outnumbering Harvard hopefuls 100 to 1.
Let’s talk numbers over the last eight years:
- 220 million people have applied for government jobs
- Only 720,000—yes, that’s 0.3%—got through.
- For Maharashtra Police? Out of 1.7 million applicants, just 17,000 got in.
- The SSC 2024 saw 3.6 million hopefuls, but—plot twist—only 17,000 jobs.
- UPSC? The “Mount Everest” of exams had 990,000 aspirants vying for 1,000 seats—a 0.10% success rate.
Your odds of making it to NASA are, shockingly, higher (and, presumably, involve less general awareness).
Meanwhile, millions chase these posts for the promise of ₹30,000 a month and job security, often spending years prepping for exams that could take longer than an ISRO mission to Mars. Paper leaks, years-long exam result delays, and the rise of short-term contracts have left many in the lurch—cracking the exam is no guarantee of a lifetime of peace (or pension) anymore.
And here’s the kicker as mentioned in Meenal’s video, even as sarkari exam halls overflow, departments like health and education have 1 million vacancies. Apparently, governments can’t hire fast enough, or aspirants aren’t ready for what’s on offer.
On the other end, India’s private sector is pleading for skilled hires.
According to Goel, one CEO moaned that 94% of IT graduates aren’t job-ready. English fluency, digital skills, and industry smarts remain in short supply—even as government desks gather dust for want of recruits.
Goel’s diagnosis? India doesn’t have an employment crisis, but a “skills and expectations crisis”.
She urges government job aspirants:
- To limit exam prep to two or three years
- Pick up industry-relevant skills
And if the UPSC dream remains a dream, move on! Self-worth need not be measured by how many exams you filled out.
So, the next time someone boasts about “aiming for the moon”, ask if they mean NASA or the local SSC exams—for in India, both offer a rarity: real job security, and a lifetime of bragging rights.
If only the recruitment process could match the humor and heart of the millions still waiting patiently for their “Congratulations!” letter. Until then, may the odds be ever in your favor.
