A teacher from the Bihar government moonlights as a food delivery agent to survive

The year is 2022. The Kumar household in Bhagalpur, Bihar, is beaming with joy. Amit Kumar, the eldest son of the family, got a government job. He is now a government teacher. The joy is even greater as the timing has come: after being unemployed for over two and a half years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Amit Kumar has passed the government exam and landed a job as a physical education teacher. Until now, he is a food delivery boy and works two jobs to make ends meet.

Amit Kumar was hired as a part-time teacher for a salary of Rs. 8,000, too little to run a household. Although he was a part-time teacher, Amit worked full-time, motivating children to participate in sports and win accolades.

“Even after two and a half years, the salary remains unchanged. The government also does not pass the eligibility test. Other teachers at the school get a salary of Rs. 42,000, five times more than what I get,” he says.

Amit and other part-time teachers were not paid for four months earlier this year. This led him to borrow money from friends. As the loan amount increased, so did his financial worries.

Following his wife’s advice, Amit decided to sign up as a food delivery boy on Zomato, a food delivery app. He adds: “I researched the job of a food delivery boy and realized that there are no set working hours. I immediately signed up and started working. Now, I teach in the morning and do a second delivery job in the evening, from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Previously, Amit worked for a private school until the COVID-19 pandemic caused him to lose his job. In 2019, he appeared for a government exam and scored 74 out of 100. After a long wait, in 2022, he got the job.

“With Rs. 8,000 in hand, I am incapable of raising a family. How will I feed my future generation if I can’t feed myself? I have an old mother who I have to take care of and I am therefore obliged to do two jobs,” he adds.