In a state that lacks employment opportunities, finding a suitable job has become an uphill task. Well qualified individuals holding MPhil and PhD degrees in West Bengal are applying for the post that involves one to transport and handle dead bodies.
Malda Medical College received more than 300 applications for the post of a lab attendant whose job is to handle dead bodies in the post-mortem section of anatomy classes, reported Times of India and added that every third applicant was a graduate.
Initially, the officials assigned to check the CVs of the applicants were baffled. After seeing the qualification of the applicants, they thought that they were looking into the wrong packet and that those CVs were for some other post.
But they had their hands on the right details. All those applications were for the post of 'dom' who is given the responsibility to handle dead bodies. The minimum educational qualification for that post was passing 8th grade.
Vice-Principal Amit Dawn said that this situation reflects the current crisis in the job market.
"The government can't prevent a double MA candidate from applying for a post in which the desired qualification is passing the Class VIII standard. We need to find out ways to tide over the problem," said education minister Partha Chatterjee to TOI.
Employment crisis in West Bengal has persisted for quite some time now. With government being the biggest employment generator, experts have said that the 'jobless nature of growth is worrying'. This is in turn leading to brain drain.
