Mumbai airport job chaos: Over 15000 MCom, BBA, BA, other degree holders show up for a Rs 22,500 job opening

Thousands of job aspirants showed up at Mumbai's Kalina on Tuesday for a walk-in interview hosted by Air India Airport Services Ltd., causing chaotic scenes.

Of the 1,800 available positions, almost 15,000 individuals applied for the vacancies of a handyman and utility agent, someone who does different repair and maintenance duties.

Airport loaders get paid between Rs 20,000 and Rs 25,000 per month, although, after overtime compensation, the majority get above Rs 30,000. The position has minimal educational requirements, but the applicant must be physically fit.

Despite the small number of openings, a sizable throng gathered outside the recruiting office. Applicants were advised to submit their resumes and vacate the area as the situation became unmanageable and to avoid a situation similar to a stampede.

The Aviation Industry Employees Guild's general secretary, George Abram, said that 50,000 job hopefuls had attended the interview and criticised the management of the hiring process.  "There was a 1 km-long queue. Police had to be called. Applicants were asked to leave their application, and they would be called later. There are vacancies for 1,786 handyman and 16 utility agents. This shows the joblessness among the people," he told India Today

Many of the aspirants who applied had travelled hundreds of kilometres for the interview. One of them was a BBA student who told NDTV that he had travelled 400 km for the job. When asked if he would quit his studies if he got the job, he replied, "What do we do? There is so much unemployment. I urge the government to create more job opportunities."

Another aspirant with a BA degree mentioned that he doesn't know much about the work of a handyman but expressed that he "needs the job."

Another candidate had an MCom degree but applied for a job that required only basic education. "I am also preparing for government job exams; someone told me that the salary here is good. So I have come."

On July 9, in Gujarat, almost 1,000 persons showed up for walk-in interviews for 40 positions at Ankleshwar, causing a scene akin to a stampede.