Arjun, a master carpenter in Delhi’s Laxmi Nagar locality, has been practising his craft for the past 25 years. Most of his work has come by word of mouth, and there has never been a shortage of it. His sons, though, did not want to follow in his footsteps. They preferred to get an education and a salaried job. Arjun’s elder son, Pankaj Kumar, 28, completed his BA and a two-year fitter course at the Industrial Training Institute (ITI) in their hometown of Gaya in Bihar. Post qualifying, he got a year-long apprenticeship at an auto firm, but it did not transition into a permanent job. He spent the next 12-18 months doing odd jobs while hunting for a desk assignment. Eventually, he found one in Gurugram, but they were offering just Rs 12,000 per month. Pankaj instead chose to take up a job at a plywood shop in Kirti Nagar’s furniture market. “Now, he is earning more than double of what the office job was offering and also getting bonus and Provident Fund,” says Arjun. His younger son, Vicky Kumar, 26, has also completed his graduation and is now looking for a teaching job in a government school back home in Gaya.