PhD holders and postgraduates struggle for employment as government fails to provide opportunities, leading to brain drain and wasted potential in the region.

In Jammu and Kashmir, unemployment among highly qualified youth has become a pressing issue, affecting the very fabric of society. The once hopeful PhD holders, NET/SET candidates, and postgraduates now find themselves in a dire situation, struggling to secure employment despite their advanced degrees. The situation has reached a point where some of the brightest minds in the region are forced to take on menial jobs, including selling fruits on the streets, just to make ends meet.

A particularly disheartening example of this crisis is the overwhelming response to Class IV posts advertised a few years ago. Despite the basic qualification requirement of +2, the majority of applicants were postgraduates, MPhil, and even PhD holders. The fact that such highly qualified individuals felt compelled to apply for these positions speaks volumes about the scarcity of suitable job opportunities in the region. Unfortunately, the government remained silent on this issue, failing to address why these doctorates were driven to such desperate measures.

The root of this problem can be traced to the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC), which has failed to provide a robust and transparent approach to recruitment in recent years. For instance, the recruitment process for +2 lecturer posts has been riddled with inconsistencies, leaving many deserving candidates in the lurch. In contrast, the government has regularized Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT) teachers, promoted simple graduate teachers to Masters, and further promoted them to in-charge lecturers based on degrees obtained through distance mode during their service. These promotions have effectively blocked the path for fresh, qualified candidates emerging from universities with regular degrees, as these positions have already been filled by those within the system.

The consequences of this flawed policy are profound. Thousands of teaching and lecturer positions in higher secondary schools remain vacant, yet the government has done little to fill them. This neglect has forced highly qualified candidates to look for work outside the region, leading to a brain drain that weakens the very foundation of Jammu and Kashmir’s future. The PhD holders, once patriotic and deeply connected to their homeland, are now compelled to leave in search of better opportunities elsewhere, their talents wasted and their dreams shattered.

This crisis raises important questions about the future of the region’s children, who are not receiving the care and attention they deserve. The sight of scholars with degrees gathering dust in cupboards is a poignant reminder of the wasted potential and the bleak prospects that lie ahead. It is no wonder that scholars are left questioning what path to take and what to do in such uncertain times.

Adding insult to injury, society often views these scholars with disdain, commenting on their fall from grace with remarks like, “Oh, the doctors are now selling dry fruits; we shall not give higher education to our children.” Such sentiments only serve to deepen the crisis, as parents begin to question the value of investing in higher education for their children.

It is time for the government to step in and address this issue with the seriousness it deserves. Scholars should be respected, honoured, and given the opportunities they have worked so hard to attain. A comprehensive job policy that prioritizes the employment of highly qualified individuals, fills vacant positions in educational institutions and ensures a fair and transparent recruitment process is essential. Only then can Jammu and Kashmir hope to retain its brightest minds and secure a prosperous future for the next generation.

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Dr. Aasif Ahmad