In 2022, Amit Kumar from Bhagalpur, Bihar, brought joy to his family by securing a government job as a physical education teacher after years of unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, this happiness was short-lived. Despite working full-time, Amit earns only ₹8,000 per month as a part-time teacher, which is not enough to run his household.
Amit is passionate about teaching and encourages students to excel in sports, but his financial struggles have grown over time. “It’s been over two years, but my salary hasn’t increased. While other teachers earn ₹42,000, I get just a fraction of that,” he explains.
To make things worse, Amit and other part-time teachers didn’t receive salaries for four months earlier this year, forcing him to borrow money from friends. With debts piling up, Amit took his wife’s advice and decided to become a food delivery boy.
“I chose food delivery because it has no fixed hours. I teach in the morning and deliver food from 5 pm to 1 am,” he shares. Amit works for a food delivery app, balancing his two jobs to meet his family’s needs.
Before this, Amit lost his private school job during the pandemic. In 2019, he scored 74 out of 100 in a government exam and finally got the teaching position in 2022.
“With ₹8,000, I can’t support my family or secure their future. I also have an elderly mother to care for. This is why I’m forced to work two jobs,” Amit says, highlighting the challenges faced by part-time teachers in Bihar.
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