Over 9.79 Lakh Govt Job Openings Available Across Departments, Highest In Railways: Centre

According to union minister Jitendra Singh, there are over 9.79 lakh vacancies in various central government departments as of March 1, 2021, with a peak of 2.93 lakhs in railways.

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Union minister of state for personnel Jitendra Singh said on Wednesday that as of March 1, 2021, there are more than 9.79 lakh vacancies across various Central government departments, with the railways having the highest number at 2.93 lahks.

He stated that the occurrence and filling of vacancies is a continuous process that is governed by the needs of various ministries, departments, and organisations within the central government.

"The government has already issued instructions to all ministries/departments to fill vacant positions as soon as possible. The government of India's Rozgar Melas is expected to serve as a catalyst in further employment generation," he said in a written reply. 

Apart from railways, there were 2.64 lakh vacant posts in defence (civil), 1.43 lakh in home, 90,050 in posts, 80,243 in revenue, 25,934 in the Indian audit and accounts department, and 9,460 in the atomic energy department, according to Singh, citing the department of expenditure's annual report.

The Government Job Rush: 

Although the private job sector in India has expanded rapidly in recent decades, a government job remains a popular choice even today. Aside from reasonable pay, a government job includes social status, job security, health insurance, housing, and a slew of other perks.

Furthermore, the pandemic-induced layoffs and closures of private businesses increased the demand for government jobs. There have been numerous reports of PhD candidates, postgraduates, and highly qualified engineers applying for a small number of government jobs at both the state and Central levels.

Over the last eight years, the rush for government jobs has been unabated, but less than 1% of those who applied were chosen. Only 7.22 lakh, or 0.33 percent, of the 22.05 crore applications received from 2014-15 to 2021-22 were recommended for appointment in various Central government departments, the government informed the Lok Sabha last year during the monsoon session.