Indian Prime
Minister Narendra Modi has called upon various Union government departments to
initiate processes to recruit 10 lakh people over the next 18 months. The new recruits
will fill existing vacancies in government departments. “PM reviewed the status
of human resources in all departments and ministries and instructed that
recruitment of 10 lakh people be done by the government in next 1.5 years,” the
Prime Minister’s Office wrote on Twitter Monday.

As of March 1,
2020, there were 8.72 lakh vacancies in central government departments in
India, according to data offered up before Parliament. Of the 40-lakh
sanctioned strength, only 32 lakh people were then at work. The highest number
of vacancies is in the department of civil defence. Departments such as that of
posts, railways and revenue follow, according to a News18 report.

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The department of
civil defence has a sanctioned strength of 6.33 lakh. As per latest available
data, the department has a vacancy of 2.5 lakh. The department of posts has a
sanctioned strength of 2.67 lakh and vacancies in 90,000 posts. The sanctioned strength
in the revenue department is 1.78 lakh, with a shortfall of 74,000 people.

In the Union
Ministry of Home Affairs, nearly 1.3 lakh posts are vacant out of 10.8 lakh
sanctioned jobs.

Several
departments have been reeling under stress working with fewer people than
necessary. The decision to hire recruits, if successfully realised, would not
only bolster government work but also address India’s unemployment crisis. The
move could prove to be a major vote-winner in the 2024 elections.

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Flagging-off the
drive to get in more people into government, the Indian defence ministry. A new
policy formulated by the government seeks a radical recruitment plan for India’s
armed forces. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has called the recruitment process
“radical”. As per this policy, nearly 45,000 people between 17.5 and 21 years
will be recruited into the armed forces. Recruitment will begin within the next
90 days and the first batch will be ready by July 2023.

Those who get
recruited through these processes will be called “Agniveers”. The four-year
tenure will comprise a six-month training period. Recruits will receive salaries
between Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000. They will also be given medical and insurance
benefits. They won’t however, be entitled to pension benefits. Around 25% of
Agniveers will go on to become soldiers.