India’s biggest challenge is not just unemployment, but the unemployability of over 60 crore youth. Although the employable percentage has increased from 33.9 per cent in 2014 to 51.3 per cent in 2024, a grim reality persists: over 47 per cent of graduates remain unqualified for industry jobs (National Skill Development Council, NSDC).

Moreover, available data also reveals that over 70 per cent of engineering graduates are deemed “unemployable,” and more than 80 per cent lack advanced digital skills, largely due to theory-based assessments and insufficient practical experience. Further, only 40 per cent of this segment opts for internships, exacerbating the issue. Most candidates realize their lack of job readiness in their final year of studies or shortly after graduation, when acquiring necessary skills demands significant time and money.

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This leaves them unemployed or unfit for any viable self-employment. While being unemployed is unfortunate and disheartening, being unemployable is disastrous leading to a cascade of negative emotions like impatience, frustration, and anger among youth, often resulting in their socially and legally unacceptable behavior on roads, markets, restaurants and even in public places. The real issue in our country is not unemployment, but unemployability. It is not the lack of job vacancies or self employment opportunities, but the lack of employable skills that plagues our youth. Social barriers, especially for girls, hinder their participation in higher education leading to a loss of nearly 40 per cent of the potential workforce.

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The preference for government jobs over private entrepreneurship stifles innovation and self-reliance. Our society which is trying to embrace modern technology in the workplace also needs to cultivate discipline among the youth through strict upbringing and provide affordable skill education. The Covid-19 pandemic has also highlighted the need for local industrial infrastructure and grassroots vocational training as millions lost their jobs during mass........

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