The true cost of a government job exam in India. Ft. Kunal Mangal
Why do millions of young Indians spend years preparing for government exams, even when private-sector jobs may pay significantly more? And what does this tell us about the economics of government jobs in India?
Kunal discusses research in which aspirants chose a tehsildar job paying ₹50,000–₹60,000 a month over a private-sector job paying ₹3 lakh a month. They also examine how aspirants perceive risk, why the possibility of success makes competitive exams feel different from a lottery, and what happened when Tamil Nadu froze government hiring between 2001 and 2006.
The conversation also looks…
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