India's government jobs shrink even as millions of youth chase them

Many young people in India want government jobs because they are secure.

But there are fewer and fewer of these jobs.

The government has cut the number of jobs it allows.

Many approved jobs are also empty and not filled.

In 2024, about one in five government jobs was vacant.

The government says it cannot hire more permanent workers because it costs too much.

Pay and pensions make the wage bill very high.

So the government hires contract workers instead.

More than a million people were hired this way in one year.

Young people in Jharkhand protested because recruitment takes too long.