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A legal researcher said she was offered just Rs 50 for writing a 500-word legal article, raising questions about how years of education and expertise are valued in India
Her post reignited the debate on underpaid skilled work. (LinkedIn/Ipshita Goyal and Pexels)
Years of education, research and academic achievements are expected to open the door to better career opportunities. But for one legal researcher, a recent job offer raised a bigger question about how skilled work is valued in India.
She shared that she was offered just Rs 50 to write a 500-word legal article, triggering a wider discussion about low pay, unemployment and the treatment of professionals.
She Questioned The Value Of Skilled Work
The experience was shared on LinkedIn by legal researcher Ipshita Goyal. She wrote, “Today, I received what someone called an ‘opportunity’. I was offered ₹50 for every 500 words of legal content writing. For a moment, I smiled. Then I paused. Years of studying law. A double gold medal. Research publications. Endless nights in libraries. Hours spent understanding judgments, statutes and policy. And somewhere, all of that was valued at 10 paise a word.”
Goyal clarified that her post was not about feeling entitled to a high-paying job. “This isn’t a post about entitlement. No degree guarantees success. But it does make me wonder: What is the bigger tragedy in India? Unemployment, or the normalisation of underpaying skilled labour?” she added.
She also said that many people have started accepting low-paying work because opportunities are limited. According to Goyal, asking for fair pay is often seen as unreasonable, while poor compensation is presented as a valuable opportunity.
“Perhaps the real crisis isn’t the lack of jobs. Perhaps it’s that we’ve become comfortable treating knowledge, research and professional expertise as disposable. We can, and should, do better,” she concluded.
Professionals Shared Similar Experiences
The post started a conversation among professionals, with many saying they had faced similar situations. One user commented, “I’m just curious. Where will you spend this hefty amount of money? I think you should donate some of it to the legal fraternity.”
Another wrote, “This is one reason I am not hiring. I am not at a stage where I can pay people according to their skills. I’d rather wait until I can offer fair compensation. That said, some small startups genuinely cannot pay much in the beginning, and if someone is comfortable joining with that understanding, there’s nothing wrong with it.”
A person shared, “Junior advocates face this every day. Many seniors expect us to work eight to 10 hours without pay in the name of hard work.”
Another commented, “Cheap intellectual labour is one of the reasons so many multinational companies operate in India. It is difficult to accept, but it’s the reality.”
“This should not happen. It’s sad that people still have to deal with this,” another user wrote. One person added, “Isliye sab sarkari naukari chahte hai. Sarkari naukari isliye highly competitive ho gayi hai. Pvt sector is blood sucking and soul stirring to the employees while the owners enjoy huge benefits.”
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