Protests by railway job aspirants brings unemployment issue to fore ahead of assembly polls

NEW DELHI: Violent protests by thousands of job aspirants over the railway recruitment board’s selection process has brought the issue of unemployment into the limelight ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in five states.

When the Indian Railways advertised the availability of over 35,000 posts in the railways sector, around 1.25 crore candidates applied for the exam. The pay range of these posts was between Rs 19,900 and Rs 35,400 per month.

Approximately 60 lakh people eventually sat for the exam, which was held in six phases between December 2020 and July 2021.