Qualification: BA. Job: Auto driving

PATNA: Stepping out of school or college, midway or after graduating, an increasing number of educated city youths find their dream of landing a "sarkari naukari" getting shattered. But they refuse to be deterred by the failure.
They are now turning to alternative employment avenues for earning their bread and butter. For a section of them, self-employment is the mantra and autorickshaws their vehicle to keep their hearth warm.In the last five years, this trend has gained momentum.
Out of an estimated 15,000 autorickshaws plying on different routes of the city, about 10,000 are driven by educated youths who are at least matriculates. Of these 10,000, about 3,000 are inter-pass and 1,500 are graduates.
Ram Prasad, an auto driver who is in mid-fifties, plies his vehicle on the Gandhi Maidan-Patna Junction route. He said that educated people have started coming to this profession in the last five years. Earlier, all the auto drivers used to be illiterate, but now every two of the three auto driver is at least a matriculate. "It is good that the youths have accepted the reality and started opting for self-employment," said Prasad.
Feroz Khan, who drives on Patna City-Gandhi Maidan route, was forced to leave his studies midway due to financial problems. Khan was studying homoeopathy in R N Sah Homoeopathy Medical College, Ara. He said when he started driving an autorickshaw in the early 90s, he was a bit hesitant. But things have changed in the last five years, he said, adding "I have to meet the requirements of my family and see that my children are not forced to quit studies midway due to financial constraints".
Khan said people have started accepting driving as a profession. "However, at times, they do make remarks which hurt. Even my wife says: Padh ke kya kiye jab auto hi chalana pada. But I have accepted the reality."
Manoj Kumar, who drives an autorickshaw on the Patna-Danapur route after passing the intermediate examination from V S College, Danapur, tried for a job in the Indian Army, but failed.
"I was not disheartened and without wasting any time started driving an auto," he said, adding "I have to shoulder the responsibility of eight members of my family and, therefore, I never cared about the unpleasant remarks of people".