Young job seekers in India struggle as education loses its promise

The NEET Struggle

Nineteen-year-old Mohammad Faiz studies up to six hours a day in a windowless Delhi dorm room, preparing for the medical school entrance exam known as NEET. He joined more than two million students taking the test this year, but missed out on one of the roughly 60,000 low-cost government medical college spots. Faiz now plans to try again, despite seeing his four older siblings fail to find stable work after earning business and science degrees.

Growing Unemployment

India houses about 365 million people aged 15 to 29, and the supply of matching jobs fails to keep pace with university graduates. A 2026 Azim Premji University report shows nearly 40% of graduates aged 15 to 25 were unemployed, while the International Labour Organization noted that youth unemployment for those with a graduate degree or higher hit 29.1% in 2022. Development economist Amir Ullah Khan notes that this mismatch forces young people to lower their life goals.

Protests and Policy Changes

Shradha Gupta secured a government medical seat after four failed attempts and five years of studying 12 to 15 hours a day. Frustrated by exam leaks and a broken system, young citizens joined street protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party this summer, successfully pushing the country's education minister to resign on July 25. The group has since launched a grassroots campaign asking supporters to inspect conditions at local government schools.

Context

Economic reforms in the 1990s expanded technology and engineering sectors, building a widespread belief that a good degree guaranteed career success. That long-standing social contract now faces intense strain as applicant numbers surge far beyond available public university seats and entry-level positions.