MBBS /MBA, Ph.D degrees appear for LDA level posts!

A Naga graduate or post graduate till some years ago was reluctant to try for lower clerical posts. This trend is fast changing as the employment opportunities in the government sector are getting saturated.
In the recent recruitment, candidates with MBBS, MBA, computer engineering and Ph.D degrees have appeared for LDA level posts. This was stated by Toshi Aier, additional chief secretary & finance commissioner while talking on the topic “Education & Employability” at the 15th biennial general conference of All Nagaland College Students Union (ANCSU) at St. Joseph’s College, Jakhama.
He said the reasons for such can be attributed to the saturation in job openings in the government sector and the lack of corresponding growth in the private sector in the state. In this backdrop, Aier said there is need for appreciation of the openings created by the state government through the legislation on the retirement age. Another cause is the tendency of our people to develop home-sickness, wanting to be home only.
“The penchant of our government servants wanting to be posted in Kohima and Dimapur only testifies to this fact. This can have a negative impact - it prevents our youngsters from struggling, learning and succeeding in other environments and from acquiring valuable experience and exposure that is not available at home,” Aier said. The additional chief secretary cited an example of the fall out of the Indian Diaspora in the 60’s and 70’s and how the NRIs had returned to their mother country and have today propelled investment and economic growth in the country.
“What we need to recognize is the fact that these people went abroad to work, acquire knowledge, gain wealth and valuable experiences and had brought back these assets to create success stories in India.
There is something our people need to emulate,” he said adding many Naga youngsters who gets jobs abroad give up and come back before achieving anything worthwhile, unable to adapt to the heavy work schedules and work pressure and difficulty in adapting to a different social environment. This points to lack of consistency, enterprise and adventurist instincts,” he said.
Literally speaking, employment is defined as a contract between two parties for rendering of a work or service, one being the employer and the other the employee. Generally, an employee contributes labour and expertise in an enterprise of an employer, Aier said adding that the common meaning of ‘employment’ as defined is generally deemed to mean employment in the non- government sector.
This differs in our context since more than 90% of regular employment in our state comes from the government sector, he said adding that the presence and contribution of the private sector in our state in regular employment is still very negligible.
Aier stated that the overwhelming dependence on government jobs has also discouraged the growth of vocational skill that are key to promotion of entrepreneurship and economic growth.
“We seldom see our people engaged in small trades such as masonry, constructions, pipings, paintings and electrifications and unskilled labour,” he said.
If we look closely, he said it is difficult to ignore the sense of enterprise of the non-Nagas especially their ability to seize every possible situation or circumstance and transform them into opportunities. For example, selling of chanas, small snacks, tea etc during public functions and football matches and the pavement sellers at Phoolbari junction in the evenings and on holidays with small LED lamps.
“They have perfected the art of understanding needs and situations that can profitably exploited. They have perfected mobility and flexibility to meet such circumstances,” Aier observed.
The additional chief secretary said a non-Naga carrying a kettle of tea in a cut-out oil tin with a stove inside and snacks is a good example of enterprise. One can also frequently see Tibetans selling tasty momos with soup and pickle on the pavements in Church road Dimapur. They make limited amounts, know the demand and the time, and do not have to pay rent or taxes. This is the difference they have.
Air said that most of our people go into business without making a proper assessment of demands, customer profiles, inventory of goods etc. Worse still, many even lack the basic courtesy of talking politely to customers. A small shop run by a non Naga will have most of the items we require unlike a shop run by a Naga.
He also quoted a study carried out by the evaluation department in 2006 which revealed that in the districts of Kohima, Dimapur and Mokockhung, non-Nagas engaged in small trades earned about Rs. 450 crores in a year.
“It will be much higher now. One can get an idea from the huge numbers of constructions taking place today. This indicates that there are huge opportunities at our doorsteps. The question is – do we have people food enough to hire? This brings us to the issue of employability,” Aier said.
In our context, Air said, employment is largely viewed as government employment, adding that this is inevitable considering the lack of industrialization, poor growth of the service sector and relatively backward economy.
“We are all familiar with the historical reasons why- the long drawn insurgency situation and its impact on the economic growth of the state. Government employment is also attractive because of the permanency and security it offers, even after retirement and the opportunity of earning a fairly handsome salary package and may be also without having to put in much amount of work either,” he said,
This, he said, is also indicative of the prevailing work culture in our state today- the work culture of making a living without much productive contribution, and the culture of shirking duties and responsibilities to the extent possible. This is partly created in situations where people occupy posts without the requisite knowledge and skills, struggle to contribute.
He also stated that when “ we take a broad look at the employment perspective in the state from the point of view of employability, it is difficult to ignore the widespread prevalence of lack of satisfactory skills and knowledge and the adverse impact on the functioning of the government resulting in unsatisfactory quality of delivery of services.”
Aier regretted that it was distressing to see the levels of dependence on others- whether it be consumer goods or essential commodities, adding that even vegetables that can easily be grown in Kitchen gardens such as tomatoes and chilies are brought in from other states.
“It is not difficult to imagine what would happen if the main entry points into Nagaland were to be sealed- off for even a week. There would be alarming scarcity, hoardings, rationings and huge hikes in prices,” he said adding that these are basic and fundamental issues that the people have failed to address in almost five decades of statehood.
“We have become accustomed to a work culture of easy money and reluctance to work. We have not allowed by economic activity worth mention to take roots in our soil, we have not secured any productive investment, and after almost 5 decades of statehood, have an economy is salary driven. Why?” he said.
This, he said raise the question of how far we have come since statehood. He cited an example at the time of gaining statehood, it would not be wrong to say that majority of the people were self sufficient as far as food was concerned. The story, very sadly may not be the same today.
“Our social values and ethics are fast eroding, and so has social cohesiveness and social order. We are rapidly losing our sense of belonging, of being one as Nagas. This is evident in the fragmentation of thoughts and feelings prevailing in our state today, and the highlighted sense of tribalism,” he said.
The addit ional chief secretary observed that it is now a time of serious introspection; a time to learn from past mistakes and take corrective measures.
“There is need to re-orient our understanding and approach to the employment process. We must begin to recognize that employment is about sincerity, commitment, dedication and high levels of excellence. We must acknowledge that not all can be officers, that there will be to be some at the lower level,” Aier said and also stressed on the need to learn to value quality, and understand the fact that employment is not only about mechanical fulfillment of our duties. “ It demands from each and every one of us the best we can officer. Only then our society will slowly move towards a stable and thriving system.”
He observed that organizations like ANCSU, which represent the future Nagas need to come forward to take responsibility to encourage serious introspection among the Naga youth, undertake studies to learn better of what employability is all about, and what can be done to prepare our youth better to compete successfully for employment.



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