'Why No Jobs Despite Studying for Years?' We, PAU Students, Ask Punjab Govt

Students protesting in Ludhiana outside PAU campus.

(Image courtesy: Altered by The Quint)

Producer: Varsha Rani

Video Editor: Abhishek Sharma

We, the students of Punjab Agricultural University, have been staging protests for the last 15 days as the vacant posts in the state's agriculture and horticulture departments have not been filled yet.

The state government has failed to provide employment to educated youngsters like us.

Our concern is genuine, and we are in dire need of jobs. This has caused a lot of frustration in our lives. We have done BSc and MSc, and many students are now doing their PhD. It's as though we do not have any goals now. Our frustration has reached its peak.

To mark our protest, we sold vegetables and polished shoes outside our university to show how unemployment will affect us in the future and we will be forced to take up odd jobs.

Students polishing shoes outside the university.

Image courtesy: Babanpreet Singh

Students protesting against the state government in Punjab. 

Image courtesy: Harman Singh

According to an RTI filed by one of the students, a total of 501 posts of agriculture development officer and 372 posts of agriculture sub-inspectors are currently vacant.

Data about vacant seats based on an RTI response.

Image courtesy: RTI

Students like me are suffering due to the government's delay in allotting jobs to graduates. I spoke to my friends and batchmates about the problems they have to go through due to this delay.

"I did my BSc in agriculture and MSc. Even after that, I never got a job. I did my bachelor's under so much pressure and difficulties with the hope of getting a job. My parents work as labourers. Even after all this, I did not get a job. The Aam Aadmi Party has done nothing for us. Even after studying for years, we are unemployed. Students like me have suffered a lot because of this."

Jagjeet Singh, Student

Students protesting in Ludhiana against the government for not filling vacant posts.

Image courtesy: Harman Singh

Jasneer Kaur Sandhu, a second-year PhD student, said, "I did my BSc four years ago, and then I did my MSc. It’s been eight years and I still don’t have a job. We are doing our PhDs but still are very unsure about getting a job because there are no vacant posts for us. It just feels like all our hard work is aimless."

The delay in the allotment has left us without any hopes and aims. We have started feeling that our hard work all these years is going in vain now.

"What is the point of us studying for 10-11 years when we just have to sit at home with our degrees? We have spent lakhs on our education, and we are still unemployed. This is mentally exhausting for us," Sandhu added.

We are requesting the government to take up this matter seriously. Punjab’s economy is dependent on agriculture, and to save Punjab, the recruitment for these vacant posts should be conducted as soon as possible.

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