Engineers, grads queue up for ‘cycle test’ for Kerala peon’s job: Report

In yet another example of the bleak employment situation for ordinary graduates and even the skilled taskforce, like engineers, scores of candidates with these educational qualifications queued up for the job of a peon at a government office in Kerala’s Ernakulam on Friday (October 27), The Times of India has reported.

The eligibility criteria for the said job required candidates to only have passed Class 7 and the ability to ride a bicycle. However, the lure of a secure job that will pay around Rs 23,000 a month was too much for the candidates, who turned up at the government office for the “cycle test” — which is one of the steps that have to be cleared for a candidate to get the job.

According to the TOI report, the candidates felt the government job was safer than working for a ride-hailing or food delivery platform. Also, there is no need for working graveyard shifts like in the tech sector. Even the entry-level salary in the latter will be much lower than the government salary.

The TOI report quoted a PSC official as saying that the cycle test continues to be followed in Kerala even though it serves no purpose as modes of transportation have changed. Only female and differently abled candidates are exempted from the test.

According to the Union labour and employment ministry, Kerala had 5.1 lakh jobseekers — the largest number in the country — registered with the employment exchanges in 2022, says the report. These include 3.2 lakh women, which is also the highest in the country.

In all, 101 candidates passed the cycling test on Friday. They now face an endurance test in the next step of qualification for the coveted job.

In the past, BTech, MBA, and ordinary graduates have been reported to have applied for the jobs of government sweepers and sewage workers in other parts of the country.