Addressing a room full of job seekers — mostly young men, with a lone woman huddled at the back — “Pinky Singh from Banaras” introduced herself. She stood out in the crowd, dressed in a suave pant suit with black heels rather than a traditional Indian salwar kameez or saree. An employee at Pukhraj Health Care Private Limited, Singh then introduced her workplace: “We’re a 24-year-old company with branches in 17 states. We’re hiring for branch manager posts. Workday will be 8 hours and posting is in Banaras itself. We’re looking for applicants between the ages of 18 and 25. Minimum qualification is 10 plus [10th grade graduates], maximum can be whatever. Anyone interested can come register with us.”
As soon as she started to walk away, she realized that she forgot to convey some vital information. “Before you start, there will be 180 days of training, where we will teach you about conversation, body language and dressing. During the training period, food and accommodation will be free. No expenses from your side,” she said, adding that the stipend would be between 8,000 rupees and 15,000 rupees ($97 to $182) per month, with a salary of 25,000 rupees ($304) after the training.
The response from the crowd of over 50 people was tepid. Pinky was the first recruiter to speak at this bimonthly job fair organized by the government employment office in the city of Banaras (also known as Varanasi). These fairs are common in small towns and cities across India and are the government’s way of ensuring that unemployed youth are afforded opportunities for work, at least theoretically.
