In December 2018, Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, currently the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, made several promises regarding job creation in the state. He vowed to fill the 2.3 lakh vacant government jobs and release an annual job calendar. However, these promises remain unfulfilled, leading to widespread discontent among the youth.
The Opposition parties, particularly the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), have criticized Jagan Mohan Reddy for failing to address the job crisis. The high unemployment rate among graduates, reaching 24%, has become a major issue for the government. Young job-seekers are forced to leave the state in search of employment opportunities.
One of the key points of disappointment is the delay in releasing the District Selection Committee (DSC) notifications for teacher recruitment. Jagan Mohan Reddy had promised a ‘mega DSC’ to fill all the vacant teacher posts, but the recent announcement of a DSC to recruit only 6,100 teachers has been seen as a betrayal. The government released the notification just before the elections, knowing that the recruitment process cannot be completed before the code of conduct comes into effect.
The Congress party, led by Jagan Mohan Reddy’s sister, has launched a protest against the government’s failure to address the job crisis. They remind the public of how their father, former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, had successfully implemented a mega DSC to recruit 52,000 teachers in the state. The protest has garnered attention and increased the pressure on Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Not only teachers, but aspirants for jobs in the police department and other government departments are also upset with the government’s lack of action. Despite promises to fill thousands of vacancies, the notification for these posts was delayed, and the recruitment process has been slow. This has further fueled the frustration among the unemployed youth.
To voice their grievances and demands, the Andhra Pradesh Unemployed Joint Action Committee has initiated a statewide yatra. They are visiting universities and libraries to communicate with the youth and collect their experiences and concerns. Their demands include increasing the number of posts in the DSC, raising the age limit for candidates, and making changes to conflicting exam dates.
In response, the government claims to have provided over 6,38,087 jobs in its tenure. However, the discontent among the youth poses a significant challenge for Jagan Mohan Reddy. Broken promises and the failure to address the job crisis could have a detrimental impact on his political career.
The growing frustration among the unemployed youth and the opposition’s criticism highlight the urgent need for the government to take concrete actions to resolve the job crisis and create more employment opportunities for the people of Andhra Pradesh.
