Sarkari naukri.
These are the 2 favourite words of every Indian parent. Ever since I can remember, my parents have always encouraged me to prepare for a government job. One cannot deny that a sarkari naukri does come with some great perks that private companies don’t offer. And if you are someone who likes to have a personal life after work, there’s no reason why a government job shouldn’t be your priority.
As our parents say, unlike most of the privately-run firms which have high attrition rates, government jobs are more relaxed without the sword of job insecurity hanging above your head.
Here are some perks of having a government job that might just make you want to apply for one.
1. No staying back in office beyond 8 hours
Unlike private companies where people check and respond to mails even after working hours, a government employee is far-far away from work after punching out. Of course there are projects and deadlines to meet but they definitely don’t get stinkers at odd hours and rarely do they need to work beyond office timings.
2. With pay commissions, government organisations offer packages just as good as MNCs, if not better.
One may argue that there’s not much increment in the salary of a government employee as compared to a private employee, but if you look at the incentives and pay commissions that are being introduced periodically, the salary in a government job isn’t dismal at all. In fact, PSUs like Coal India Limited (CIL) and Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) hire engineering graduates at a lucrative package of ₹10 lakh per annum and above. With residential accommodation and other incentives, it makes for an impressive deal altogether.
3. Not only is it highly paid, it is also a highly respectable job, especially if you’re serving the country in a foreign land.
Imagine living in a foreign country on the government’s expenses! Certain government jobs entail foreign postings and you can be rest assured to receive a first-class treatment. For example, certain positions in the Ministry of External Affairs receive foreign postings, like the Assistant General in the Ministry of External Affairs gets a posting in countries like New York, Geneva, Switzerland. They are allowed to carry their own car or bike wherever they are posted and can also carry a luggage of up to 1,400 kgs with them. Yes. 1400 kgs!
4. Forget working Saturdays & say hello to all govt. declared holidays, so you can finally check off all your dream locations.
The Government of India is generous with holidays so you don’t have to crib about leaves and be apprehensive about them getting approved. The number of fixed holidays in a year are enough to plan any dream vacation.
There are 30 earned leaves, plus casual leaves, 180 days of maternity leaves and medical leaves. Not only this, there are various other perks like in C-DOT, the outstation employees receive full air-fare to visit their home town every once a year.
Similarly, the Reserve Bank of India gives its employees a yearly leave for holidaying anywhere in India. To top it all, the government organisations also have a provision of sabbatical leave in case you want to go for higher studies. Now which private job does that?
5. Fully covered medical expenses.
Free medical facilities are one of the USPs of being in a government job. While it depends from organisation to organisation, the medical expenses of all government employees are generally always fully covered. A PSU employee for example receives complete reimbursement of medical expenses and free check ups in government-enlisted hospitals.
6. You don’t even have to look for a house because some govt. jobs provide an accommodation as well!
While every government employee gets house rent allowance, depending on their position, people ranked higher in posts are given a well-maintained residential accommodation. The size of the home gets bigger for government officers posted in rural settings, with front lawns and backyards. The IAS officers are provided with government homes, household help and security guards. Similarly, the Reserve Bank of India also provides housing facility to its employees wherever they are posted.
7. A continuous source of income even after retirement.
The government has a National Pension Scheme in place to ensure employees a continuous source of income even after their retirement. The employees can choose among the three types of schemes available to manage their pension wealth.
8. Easy loans at minimal interest rates and so many other benefits!
Top lever officers of the Indian government receive benefits like free electricity, free phone service, and a government vehicle. PSUs like NTPC (National Thermal Power Corporation Limited) and PFC (Power Finance Corporation) provide home loan up to ₹20 lakh and car loans between ₹3-6 lakh at nominal rates. Those who are employed with the central bank of India, RBI, can get scholarships and educational loans up to ₹20 lakh for their children at subsidized rates.
With all these benefits, a government job doesn’t look like a bad idea at all, does it?