Overview

• Venkatesh Alla’s June 29 post revealed Mr. Salim, an NIT graduate in Bengaluru earning ₹43.5 lakh per year, was laid off in late May with only three months of severance
• Despite paying over ₹30 lakh in income tax across five years, Salim received no further employer or government assistance beyond his savings
• Salim is now funding ₹1.95 lakh per child annually for his kids’ education while battling depression over his sudden financial insecurity
• Social media users are split between calls for formal unemployment insurance for salaried professionals and arguments that personal financial planning must suffice
• Although the post went viral on June 30, no official policy response or relief package has been announced by the government