Army, teaching most preffered career options for kids in rural India: Report
India have clear career aspirations, with a focus on professions such as police, teaching, medicine, Army, and engineering. However, there are notable gender differences in these choices.
Boys show a preference for the Army (13.8%) and police (13.6%), while girls commonly choose teaching (16%) and medicine (14.8%), with police (12.5%) being the third most popular option. Interestingly, the gender gap is smallest for those aspiring to join the police, a TOI report stated.
According to the ASER 2023 'Beyond Basics' report, 21% of rural children aged 14 to 18 have not yet thought about their future careers, and 2.1% do not want to work.
The report also highlights regional variations in career preferences.
For example, in Hathras (Uttar Pradesh), over a third of girls were unable to identify a career aspiration. On the other hand, in Dhamtari (Chhattisgarh) and Solan (Himachal Pradesh), the most common choice among girls is to become teachers or doctors.
The micro-data reveals stark regional differences.
While the police profession is the most preferred choice for children in Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, teaching ranks as the top choice among girls in Tripura, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh, with more than 30% of girls aspiring to be teachers in the first two states.
Nationally, the Army is a popular career option in the hill states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Nagaland. However, the preference for the Army among girls in these states is lower, at 7% or less.
