The Tsunami in American economy, President Obama’s policy on outsourcing & H1B Visa, the consequent software slowdown worldwide brought a visible change in Engineering Graduates’ job hunting exercise. During the period of IT boom from 2001 – 2008, IT and ITES companies provided thousands of high package jobs to BE/B.Tech /MCA students. In fact the colleges are being rated by the students and parents on the basis of the placement rate obtained in the on-campus placements. The students and their parents are almost carried away and for them jobs means IT and ITES jobs only. In fact many Engineering colleges were started only with IT branches with increased intake of students. Even colleges offering core branches like Civil, Mechanical and Production and Mechanical converted them to IT sections. It also created dearth of eligible teachers to handle IT classes in many Engineering colleges.
They never bothered about extended hours of work, tension accompanied with accomplish-ment of targets and deadlines, minimum/negligible space for family, broken family relations, heavy work pressure involved in the software jobs. Despite medical observations that long hours of sitting in a single posture before the system in AC rooms is a causative factor for pneumonia, sinusitis, back pain, problems in spinal card, fingers, eyes, etc. people flocked to software jobs only. The IT employees had high mobility from company to company and the attrition rate is alarming. With their ‘hire and fire’ policy, MNCs always kept their employees tensed up with job security and stability. To cater to their global clients, the software engineers work during nights also. They are connected to a computer even on holidays leaving little scope for relaxation. People feel that these engineers carry on monotonous routine losing job satisfaction.
All these are being taken lightly for the sake of high package, stock invests, incentives and perks, excellent office ambience, chances of going abroad, avenues of promotion, recognition to merit and perfor-mance with no reservations to any social category and quick growth. People felt that they are in the most sought after comfort zone and used to feel blessed with enhanced status by associating and calling themselves as employees of a branded MNC. This also resulted in good marriage alliance with the life partner also an employee of the same or other MNC. The software MNCs became pools of the best brains.
The disposable income of the couple, in some cases, lead to pub culture, weekend parties, addiction to western culture, accidental deaths, office companion concept, enhanced house rents, escalation of real estate costs without reason, purchase of villas and sophisticated apartments in gated communities with ultra modern facilities with automated systems, ranging from 50 lakhs to 1.50 crores. Non payment of regular monthly EMI towards house loans taken from banks by these software employees resulted in thousands of houses confiscated by the banks and being auctioned. With their thin loyalty levels and sense of commitment, there was no sense of belonging to the MNC they are working for. These vagaries that crept into the social fabric uprooted the cultural and traditional moorings and made the youth directionless.
The craze for IT jobs is only because of the lack of career counseling and guidance to the students at any level. The thousands of jobs at a very higher level available in the government sector, Defence, research institutions, universities and colleges, banks, core industries are not taken note of either by the students or by the parents or by the managements.
The IT students of professional colleges who joined these programs with the fond hope of getting good package are actually shocked because of laying off of thousands of employees by the so called branded MNCs. They are in utter dismay and confusion with a sense of insecurity. Every day the news papers contain the news of the pink slips being given to IT employees, bench sitting, cost cutting measures undertaken by the companies like discontinuation of lunch, pickup and drop arrangement, reduction packages, cancellation of group or combo packages in terms of entertainment, tours and multiplexes, abroad assignments etc. This resulted in the anxiety and insecurity of the software personnel making them to visit psychologists and psychiatrists. Being the first choice of any candidate software jobs attracted candidates from all branches. It is a pity that student of core Engineering branches also opted for IT jobs because a job in his core area will not pay him that much. For a decade, these IT candidates shunned govt. jobs.
There was a feeling among responsible intellectuals that the so called branded software MNCs are luring the most brilliant candidates by offering them high packages. It was felt such brilliant students with their intellectual caliber are not necessary in the software as the software job involves only knowledge in technical domain and a bit of creativity. There is no role for critical analysis, sharing and caring and concern for others. Some opine that such extraordinary brilliant students like class toppers and university rankers need not waste their outstanding capacities in this field. In fact some MNCs in their campus placement process deliberately eliminate the most meritorious, and select only average and just average students leaving the top rankers clueless.
The brilliant candidates must be spared for
higher jobs in the hierarchy of Central and State
Governments, Defence, Research institutions, all India Education institutions, Universities, Centres of Excellence so that their extraordinary talent can be used for research, excellent policy formulation and decision making to mitigate many of social and economic evils prevalent in the society. Many of our youngsters are not aware of high profile jobs available in the government and non government sectors like;
· IAS / IPS / IFS / IRS / IES / IAAS
· Commissioned officers in Defence forces
· Probationary officers in the Banks
· Scientists in Research Establishments, DRDL, DRDO, ISRO, DMRL, ONGC etc.
· Group – I, Group – II jobs in the State Government Departments.
· Executives in Public sector SAIL, BHEL, ECIL, NMDC and NAVARATNAS etc.
The Engineering graduates are having excellent openings in the above services. Those jobs involve great security, fixed hours of work, good avenues for promotion, excellent career growth. And there is a provision for reservation for SC/ST/BC categories. Thanks to 60% hike in the pay revised as per 6th pay commission recommendations, these jobs also carry good package and perks comparable to software with status and power. In fact the persons occupying these positions can work with a spirit of service and contribute to the upliftment of underprivileged by providing excellent services through many welfare schemes of the government. Unfortunately the number of candidates applying for these jobs is in decline year after year because many Engineering Graduates are opting for software industry. With their studiousness, regularity, logical thinking, the engineering students have an edge over other graduates to get through the competitive examinations concerned like UPSC Civil Service Examination, APPSC Group – I, Group – II, Banks Probationary Officers, Technical Entry in Defence Services.
The figures given by the UPSC as to the number
of candidates applying for all India Civil Services Examinations is indicative of lessening interest. The response of the candidates for permanent/short service commission officers posts in the Defence services is also discouraging. The thousands officers posts in the Defence service are lying vacant. There is a dearth of second generation scientists in almost all of our research establishments. It is feared that a day may come when not even one space/missile scientist is available Twenty years ago, our ex President Shri. Abdul Kalam launched missile projects and went round renowned institutions to pick up brilliant students and put them in his challenging projects. We are now reaping the fruits of his efforts amply reflected in the successful launch of Chandrayan, Agni etc.
The parents and the educational institutions, it appears, have not taken adequate care as to create awareness about the lucrative jobs available in the Government sector, Public sector units, Defence, Research Establishments etc. In a way, the students are not properly guided by their teachers as to the job options available. The career counseling and guidance sessions were not conducted with any seriousness. The Panorama of jobs with details of package, position, power is not presented before the students even by the so called placement cell that is there in every engineering college. No serious effort was done to sensitize the students about All India Civil Services, Commissioned officers in the Defence, Bank Officers, Scientists, Researchers, University Openings etc. The immense job satisfaction, these officers derive in the discharge of their duties and service they render to the country, community and fellow human beings cannot be measured in monetary terms.
The lopsided fascination for software jobs with relatively fat salaries, cut off from the world, working in plush air-cooled environment created many problems like lack of capable administrators/bureaucrats, scientists, teachers, Defence officers, researchers etc.
The present joblessness and a feeling that they
are missing the world made these IT candidates
to tread a new path. Now they want a govt. job with security though salary is a little less. Their zeal to serve the society was enkindled. They wish to have more space for their family. They realized that they will get job satisfaction by serving in the core industries and Government sector.
The sudden spurt in the number of jobs of govt. and public sector undertakings has provided them a new and better alternative. There were about 1.60 lakh job vacancies under UPSC and the number will further increase. After a gap of 5 or 6 years the APPSC notified for Group – I and II involving thousands of Gazetted and Non-Gazetted posts in the Govt. departments. The nationalized/ private banks came out with notifications for thousands of Bank Officers. Private insurance companies, financial institutions, PSUs, Research Establishments, Universities are also coming out with notifications calling application from eligible candidates to various posts. The age relaxation given for Group – 1 and II improved the chances of many candidates.
Of late, the number of candidates enrolling with coaching centres for various competitive examinations is increasing considerably. Lakhs of applications are being received by UPSC and APPSC for their All India Civils and Group – I and Group – II. This clearly shows that there is a shift in the focus of job hunting by engineering graduates. This is a welcome feature as the best talent, hitherto being wastefully used in software companies, is now being channelized correctly. The Govt. departments and Defence forces etc. must be manned by the best of the best brains to fulfil the vision of our constitution makers and propel India, our beloved motherland, in the direction of development and progress. Gifted people with high caliber intellect coupled with zeal of service, occupying positions of responsibility and power in the hierarchy of Govt sector is a boon to the country and common man.