Ask any engineering graduate, MBA, MCA, M.Tech or even PhD holder what they are doing after completing their studies.
A surprisingly large number will say they are preparing for examinations such as UPSC, OPSC, SSC CGL, Banking, Railways, OSSC, ASO, RI, Amin or various other government recruitment examinations.
There is nothing wrong with aspiring for public service. Government jobs play an important role in society and many talented individuals genuinely wish to serve the nation through these roles.
But a question often goes unasked.
Can a state build its future if the overwhelming majority of its educated youth are preparing to seek jobs rather than create them?
For decades, we have taught young people how to search for opportunities. Very few are taught how to create them.
Parents celebrate when their children secure a government job. Society respects those who receive a stable salary. There is nothing wrong with that.
But who creates the jobs that everyone is competing for?
Every company, factory, startup, training centre, software firm, manufacturing unit and service business was once started by someone who decided to take a risk.
Without entrepreneurs, there would be no jobs to apply for.
Odisha today faces a strange situation. Thousands of educated youth enter the job market every year while opportunities struggle to keep pace. As competition increases, frustration also increases.
The solution cannot be to simply produce more job seekers.
We must also produce job creators.
A young entrepreneur who builds a successful enterprise may employ ten people. Another may employ fifty. Some may eventually employ hundreds.
One entrepreneur can create opportunities for many families.
Unfortunately, entrepreneurship is still treated as a backup option. Many people are encouraged to start a business only after exhausting every other employment opportunity.
That mindset must change.
Entrepreneurship should be viewed as a respectable and valuable career path in its own right.
If Odisha truly wants to reduce unemployment, retain talent and build a stronger economy, it must create an environment where young people are encouraged to innovate, experiment and build enterprises.
The future of Odisha cannot depend only on how many jobs are available.
It must also depend on how many people are willing to create them.
A society that produces only job seekers will always compete for opportunities.
A society that produces job creators will create opportunities.
