Came across a person who actually assumes that humanities provides gainful employment. Talks about 'opportunities' in the IAS and in teaching (as a professor).

Let me regale you with some anecdotes.

I stay in that part of Hyderabad where coaching centres for the civil services, Group 1 or 2 services in AP/TS are choc a block. Maybe at least 100 institutes probably. The entire area thrives on the student population - hostels, messes, book shops etc.

Have seen the travails of the aspirants. Some of them from good engineering colleges, come with a lot of josh. First year - getting acclimatised to the new topics (sociology / polity / whatever). Coaching institute shopping.

First attempt at civils - many of them do not make it in the prelims. But well, expected. They switch gears. Coaching centers are proving expensive. So, spend time at 'study rooms' or at the City Central Library. Initially intense, later the tea breaks get longer.

Second attempt - many miss the bus again. Two years spent in hostels by now. Parents at home start asking questions. Read Hindu and half a dozen 'current affairs' magazines, start cooking at the room. Money is in short supply.

The saga continues. The goal slips - Civil Services to Group 2 services - such as excise inspector etc. Problem is the state PSC boards are plagued with problems, court cases postpone these exams. Finally, exams and interviews, and again court cases, and finally results.

A lucky few get. They become rays of hope for the others slogging it out. But 3 years sometimes can be taxing, and makes many aimless.

Engg degrees become just a degree as they have missed the bus getting through campus placements long ago. Somehow a new career has to be built.

Painful to see the civil services dream crashing. Have seen people who spent 4-5 years like this with no success. After all you just have maybe 1000 civil services vacancies a year, and a few ones at the state level.

Now regarding teaching - let us say a humanities MA enrols for a PhD. Writes and qualifies in NET. Does a PhD for 4 or 5 years in say a Central University.

Next step - teaching job. Do you think it is easy with a PhD? How many vacancies? Fat chance. Interviews, opaque system.

Yes, 80% of the engg graduates are unemployable. But still there is a ray of hope, as the odds for them getting a job are higher than a humanities student. Do a few courses at Ameerpet, struggle for a few years in a low paying job, and one day, one can make it.

So what?

Just telling humanities+science mixture fanboys, that the end of formal education is a job. One cannot be a burden on parents or society. Mixing subjects will not guarantee a job. Instead by focusing on professional education and hard skills, one can get a job quicker.

Humanities topics may be introduced into professional education (by this I mean Engg / CA / Medicine etc). But they need not be assessed.

Better still is that the study of humanities can be a hobby or a side interest to those really committed ones.