India’s young people are out on the streets—first it was over examinations, where they suspected there had been malpractices, and now over the process of correcting voter lists. The last two times when the streets had been taken over by India's burgeoning youth population were in 1990, when reservation in jobs and educational institutes was a burning question, and before that, in the 1960s and 1970s, over myriad issues, ranging from the Vietnam War to joblessness to "language imposition".

The truth is, youth power takes to streets on issues that are but straws in the wind, but the real cause for the "Angry Young Man" syndrome is usually structurally far more complex. The main cause for the revolt usually stems from the struggle to find productive, quality jobs. In the 1960s, the Indian economy grew at a sluggish rate, creating few jobs, while the number of India’s unemployed doubled between 1956 and 1972. Similarly, in 1990, youth unemployment hovered at roughly 17–20 per cent for those in the 15–24 age bracket.

In 2026, India’s young people have more education, higher aspirations, and greater access to information than any generation before them. What many do not have are jobs. The resulting frustration is becoming harder to ignore, as official figures boast of an economy that has posted rapid growth even in years which have been difficult for the rest of the world.

Youth Unemployment Reaches New Highs

In June this year, unemployment among Indians aged between 15 and 29, who were actively seeking work, reached 16.2 per cent, the highest in the 15-month monthly series based on the Periodic Labour Force Survey........

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