Government-owned banks will hire over 63,000 people, including officers and clerical staff, during the current fiscal.

“There are huge job opportunities for young men and women in banks. It’s a very attractive career, and young men and women must take advantage of it,” Finance Minister P. Chidambaram announced on Thursday, after a review meeting of public sector banks and financial institutions.

As on September 30, all Government-owned banks had a total vacancy (officers, clerks and sub-staff combined) of 84,489. Of this, banks plan to recruit 63,200 during the current financial year. As on March-end 2012, the total workforce of public sector banks (including nationalised banks, SBI and its associate banks) was 8,01,509.

The Finance Minister also said that the State Bank of India alone had plans to recruit 1,200 officers and nearly 20,000 clerks this year. As on September-end, the total vacancies in the SBI and its five associate banks stood at 28,979.

A senior Finance Ministry official said the Government, in consultation with public sector banks and Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS), has tried to simplify and rationalise the recruitment process. Now, there are common eligibility criteria and interview for all public sector banks and a one-time application fee.

He said the Government had also suggested carrying on the recruitment exercise in each cadre at least once a year. To fill vacancies in the clerical cadre, IBPS has already invited applications for an examination scheduled next month, he added.

> shishir.sinha@thehindu.co.in

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