Category: Education

India is one of the youngest countries in the world, with over 65% of the 1.4 billion population younger than 35 years of age. This demographic dividend is frequently depicted as the country’s best strength, a (potential) driving force for not just economic performance, but also a source of innovation and global leadership. In the current scenario, this dividend is at risk of becoming a liability, due to one crucial issue: youth unemployment. In a social republic like India, where the Constitution guarantees to all citizens of India social, economic, and political justice, the reality for many young citizens remains appalling. Millions of young graduates enter the employment market every year, full of ambition and hope, without fully comprehending what is available to them. They are confronted with a limited availability of jobs (supply), a future of skill mismatches, low-paying, bad quality of jobs (employment), and no decent working conditions for many young workers. The statistics are staggering. Recent reports indicate that educated youth unemployment in India is high, with rates of 15-20% in select regions. Even those graduates with qualifications educated in more demanding degrees – engineering, MBA, or postgraduate degrees – are either still unemployed or precariously employed in jobs far below their area of competence and qualification, often for a pittance of pay. What makes matters worse is not just the lack of jobs; it is the quality of jobs (mismatched skills) and the nature of jobs that young graduates are forced to accept. Keep reading Formaz for your daily dose of moral support