Uttarakhand employment officer Uttam Kumar takes VRS over inability to give youth jobs

A senior Uttarakhand employment officer has taken voluntary retirement, saying he could not justify staying in the post when young people were not getting jobs that match their qualifications. Uttam Kumar, a 47-year-old provincial civil services (PCS) officer, opted for VRS after 22 years of service, PTI reported from Dehradun on 10 November 2026. The state government accepted his application on 9 November, the State Foundation Day.

What the Uttarakhand employment officer wrote

ETV Bharat reported that Kumar shared his thoughts in a Facebook post after leaving. “I feel a profound sense of regret for not being able to provide the youth with employment opportunities that match their qualifications,” he wrote.

He then asked a direct question. “If we cannot provide jobs to the youth, what is the justification for continuing as an Employment Officer?” he wrote. PTI said he applied for the voluntary retirement scheme in May.

Key numbers

• 47: Kumar’s age, according to ETV Bharat.
• 22 years: his length of service before the VRS, per the same report.
• 9 November: the day the state accepted his request, PTI reported.
• 35,000: government jobs Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami says were filled in four and a half years, as Asianet Newsable reported on 21 September.

Uttam Kumar’s career in employment offices

Kumar served as an employment officer in several districts, including Haridwar, Pauri Garhwal, Chamoli and some blocks of Dehradun, PTI said. ETV Bharat added that he organised job fairs and career counselling for young people. His last post was Employment Officer in the Department of Employment at Lansdowne in Pauri Garhwal district.

ETV Bharat said his move has reignited the debate on employment in the state. That is the outlet’s assessment. Neither report says Kumar has any link to a political party.

Government jobs claims and the Uttarakhand Congress campaign

Dhami has said 35,000 young people joined government service through a transparent selection process in four and a half years. Asianet Newsable noted that this should be read as a figure cited by the chief minister, not an independently compiled total.

The state Congress started a signature campaign on Tuesday from Srinagar, PTI reported. State Congress chief Ganesh Godiyal said the signatures are meant to draw the Governor’s attention to issues such as “selling off the state’s land and jobs, and the corruption allegations against ministers.” Party workers have been asked to send the signed documents to Dehradun by 20 November. The BJP government’s response to these allegations is not in the reports.

What happens next

The reports do not say what Kumar plans to do after retirement, and they carry no comment from the employment department. Whether the state responds to the questions his post raises is the next thing to watch. The Uttarakhand employment officer’s exit comes as the Congress plans symbolic courts against corruption from 25 to 30 November. For more national coverage, see our India desk.