Srinagar, Nov. 12 -- Fed up with unemployment, a 38-year-old PhD scholar was forced to sell apple juice on a hand cart to earn a livelihood.

Hailing from Anantnag, Dr Maqsood Ahmad Ganai served as a contractural teacher at a government-run institution for almost ten years. However, for the past five years, Ganai has had difficulty finding a job despite being a PhD.

Ganai makes between Rs.100 and Rs.500, but at times no one comes in. Ganai attempted to find employment through government initiatives such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), but his "over qualification" as a PhD prevented him from securing employment.

Gania is not an isolated case. Another PhD scholar Dr. Manzoor ul Hassan was forced to...