According to official reports, there are 7,01,987 educated youth seeking employment in Manipur. The population of State, according to the 2011 census, is 27,21,756. Out of these, there are 2,01,327 girls listed in the employment exchange. There are 2,643 handicapped persons.
Official sources said that due to absence of industries and other private enterprises in the State, employment opportunities are very limited. These boys and girls have been scrambling for jobs in government offices.
It is alleged that every government job has a price tag. Those boys and girls whose parents cannot afford whopping amounts to be paid as bribe are disillusioned and many of them become susceptible to anti-national propaganda.
According an analysis by the Army, unemployment is one of the ingredients of the burgeoning armed movement in the State. However, it is refuted by the rebels who maintain that they are taking up arms for a cause.
Many of the unemployed youths had gone to other parts of the country seeking employment. Reports say that there is a large number of Manipuri boys and girls working in offices in the big States.
The unemployed youths told The Hindu that they cannot even start small-scale industries in the State as people get power supply only for a few hours in a day.
