Nuisance of educated unemployment in Manipur

Marchang Reimeingam *

Job for all or unemployment allowance' - A rally at Imphal in July 2012 :: Pix - Banti Phurailatpam

Educated unemployment is the concern of every household in Manipur. It is exacerbating in the state due to disproportionate increase in the supply of educated and limitedly available job. The level of educated, who has completed secondary and above education, among the literates were significantly higher for Manipur than the country in both rural as well as urban areas in all the times.

As per the NSS in 2010 as much as 38 and 52 percent in rural and urban areas respectively among the literates were educated in the state. It was higher by 14 and 5 percentage points in rural and urban areas respectively for the state when compared to the country's level. It signifies that people of Manipur are more educated than the country.

The level of educated has consistently increased over the years since early 1990s. Concurrently, spending on education has increased. In 2010, rural people spent 4.7 percent and urban people expended 6.3 percent of the total average monthly per capita consumption expenditure on education. Meanwhile, using RBI and census data the estimates of per capita revenue expenditure on education at current prices has increased almost by four fold from Rs.617/- in 1994 to Rs.2429/- in 2012.

Similarly, the per capita capital expenditure on education has increased by 32 times from Rs.10/- to Rs.320/- during the same period. It implies that expenditure on education has increased from the expenditure aspects of individual and government's revenue and capital. At the same time, unemployment has became a nuisance as the unemployment rate (usual principal status) has increased especially in rural areas from below two percent in the early Nineties to over four percent in 2010.

In urban areas the rate remains to hover around five percent in the same years. Urban problem of unemployment was more sever due to the rise in the literates in general and the educated in particular besides the growing aspiration of urban salaried and formal job.

Nevertheless, the situation was more severe in the state than in the country simply because of the differences in the pace of employment generation between the state and the country. Additionally, employment especially formal jobs generated for the educated could not offset the demand for its job in the state.

The severity of unemployment become greater for the youth (15-29 years) and has been exacerbating over the years from mere five percent in 1994 to over 14 percent in 2010 in rural areas. Urban youth unemployment is more problematic and severe as the rate is close to 20 percent in 2010.

Youth unemployment is more severe for the state in comparison with the national scenario. It calls forth to reorient the manpower planning emphasising on youth skill development and employability. Further dissecting the educated unemployment (15+) problems shows that rural educated people continues to face more hardship in getting employment as the rate has increased from just over six percent in 1994 to close to eight percent in 2010.

Interestingly, the educated unemployment rate has declined from ten to below seven percent in the same period in urban areas that might have possibly occurred due to out-migration, a sign of brain drain, rather than getting an employment in the state. It is more severe in rural than urban areas because most of the formal jobs aspired by the educated unemployed are located in the urban areas.

Need based proper allocation and establishment of industries or creation of employment opportunities across the geographical distribution could tackle the problem of educated unemployment. Females face the brunt of educated unemployment due to job bias, work place discrimination, social obligation or lack of access to economic resources.

In Manipur, youth unemployment is more problematic than the educated unemployment as the rate is greater for youth. Employability among the educated lowers their level of unemployment. Needless to mention that as the educated unemployed grows older their luxury to afford of being idle as unemployed or dependent to other member of their household for livelihood is reduced and their job aspiration and preference is lowered.

The long termed educated unemployed eventually became self-employed when economic pressure is exerted. The educated unemployed who are creative, innovative and persevere can be successful self-employed persons. Yet, the problem of unemployment especially among the youth can create a social disorder or substance abuse affecting the course of social and economic development.

Amidst of these situations, the aspiration for a limited government job is at peak. It is due to an existence of insignificant private market players resulting to inadequate private job opportunities coupled with traditional mindset of aspiring for government jobs.

Most recently, there was a sign of relieving the problem of educated unemployment as there were many openings of government job opportunities in the state. These jobs were both newly created and vacancies notified due to employees' superannuation. It is anticipated that many government job positions might likely be vacant in the near future as employees of the 1980s or 1990s got superannuated. Most perturbing situations are when there are many over-aged candidates aspiring for the government jobs.

For example, 23 candidates, who applied for the posts of Assistant Engineer for power, works etc departments conducted by MPSC (2013), were rejected due to over-aged. Similarly, about 10 candidates who applied for MCSCC(P) Examination (2014) were rejected on ground of over-aged. Some candidates for Medical Officer (2014) and Assistant Agriculture Officer (2014) were also rejected on the same ground.

Many candidates for Lecturers of Government Higher Secondary Schools (2015) were too rejected because of over-aged by the MPSC. Such situation would definitely be aggravated for non-professional posts. This mesmerised the severity of educated unemployment problem. Indeed, the figures might have enlarged partly due to the application of currently employed candidates in lower scale of salary or contract and partly due to application of the long-term unemployed.

It suggest that many educated end up as "forever unemployed" (or underemployed) which is a matter of great concern for policy makers to reconsider the manpower and educational planning. It is a condition of inefficient utilisation of available resources and a situation of dismay and ignominy for the state.

It's a wake up call for Manipur to emerge from the cocoon of suppressive and nuisance of unemployment by creating conducive investment environment for the private investors, exploiting resources diligently and efficiently, establishing a transparent and accountable government and most importantly through people's participatory and accountability.