Kohima: Nagaland's job market is breaking under massive pressure. More than 16,000 candidates sat for the 2025 Nagaland Public Service Commission preliminary exam. They fought for just 96 open posts. That puts 166 hopefuls against every single vacancy.
The state churns out up to 20,000 graduates every year. Thousands more study in cities like Delhi. Meripeni Ngullie, under secretary at the Nagaland Skill and Entrepreneurship Development Mission, shared these stark numbers during a Wednesday meeting in Mokokchung. She highlighted a broken system where annual government job openings usually total only 250 to 300. The state unemployment rate hit 16 percent. This is among the highest in India. Most jobless citizens fall between ages 15 and 29. Nearly 80 percent hold degrees or higher.
Students spend years prepping for government tests. This delay kills their earning potential and professional reach. Ngullie warned against this trap. She said, "The question is what happens to the other 165 candidates who spend years preparing for one vacancy."
Training alone will not fix the issue. Youths must gain experience and enter the market directly. The mission currently trains 2,400 people across 30 trades. Ajit Kumar Verma, deputy commissioner of Mokokchung, said the government cannot hire everyone. He pushed for shifts into technology, hospitality, agriculture, and repair services. Imosong Imsong of the Ao Officers' Telungjem noted that even the well-educated Ao community struggles to find work. Experts now call for better infrastructure and market access to turn potential into real careers.
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