2m Indians reply to ad for 300 clerical jobs

Authorities in India's most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, say they have been overwhelmed after receiving 2.3 million applications for 368 low-level government jobs.

Prerequisites for the posts include having primary school qualifications and being able to ride a bicycle.

But, tens of thousands of graduates, post-graduates and others with doctorate degrees have also applied.

An official said it will take four years to interview all the candidates.

Those who have applied for the posts, advertised in August, include 255 PhD holders and 152,000 graduates. With the number of applicants, there are more than 6,250 candidates vying for each post.