Paper: GS – II, Subject: Society and Social Justice, Topic: Social Sector- Human resources, Issue: Skill development of the youth.
Context:
India witnesses the paradox of high youth unemployment in India despite increasing educational attainment. The mismatch between education, employability, and skills, calls for radical reforms in the education-to-employment pipeline.
Key Highlights:
Current skill scenario:
Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER): Current GER in higher education is at 28% while the target in NEP 2020 is 50% by 2035
- Youth Unemployment (India Employment Report 2024):
- Youth form 83% of total unemployed.
- Two-thirds of unemployed youth have secondary or higher education
- Unemployment rate for college degree holders is at 30%
- Labour Force Participation (PLFS May data):
- Youth (15–29 years): Only 42.1% participation rate.
- Gender gap: 61.6% males vs 22.4% females.
Major Issues:
- Jobless Graduates Despite Education:
- Millions of college graduates remain unemployed or underemployed.
- Higher education not translating into productive employment
- Skills Mismatch & Lack of Employability: Graduates lack job-readiness, including Communication skills, Industry-specific skills and Digital & vocational skills.
- Coaching Culture & Exam Mania:
- $10 billion coaching industry thrives while many college seats go vacant.
- Government itself promotes this trend via subsidized preparation schemes.
- UPSC, banking, and railway exams create a misguided rush for few government jobs.
- College Seat Vacancies: For Example, In Maharashtra 300 colleges reported zero applicants which shows that the public trust in education quality is declining.
- Low Youth Labour Participation:
- Youth not engaged in productive work, many are under “NEET” (Not in Education, Employment or Training)
- Large numbers stuck in unproductive exam cycles.
- Private Sector Demand–Supply Mismatch:
- New job roles in AI, health tech, IT, etc. remain unfilled.
- It leads to acute shortage of skilled professionals, despite high graduate numbers.
Measures needed:
- Enhance Quality of Education:
- Focus not just on GER but also learning outcomes and job readiness.
- Reform university curricula and introduce applied learning.
- Promote Vocational Training:
- Bridge the gap between academic qualifications and practical skills.
- Focus on soft skills, digital tools, and industry-relevant competencies.
- Encourage Entrepreneurship:
- Reduce youth dependence on government jobs.
- Create a culture of innovation, risk-taking, and self-employment.
- Leverage Technology:
- Use digital career platforms and job exchanges.
- Match skills with market demand efficiently.
- Public-Private Partnerships:
- Collaboration between industry, academia, and government.
- Enable apprenticeships, on-the-job training, and real-world exposure.
Conclusion:
A multi-pronged strategy involving education reform, skill development, entrepreneurship, and labour market modernization is needed to convert India’s demographic dividend into a national strength.
La Excellence IAS Academy, the best IAS coaching in Hyderabad, known for delivering quality content and conceptual clarity for UPSC 2025 preparation.
FOLLOW US ON:
◉ YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/@CivilsPrepTeam
◉ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaExcellenceIAS
◉ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laexcellenceiasacademy/
GET IN TOUCH:
Contact us at info@laex.in, https://laex.in/contact-us/
or Call us @ +91 9052 29 2929, +91 9052 99 2929, +91 9154 24 2140
OUR BRANCHES:
Head Office: H No: 1-10-225A, Beside AEVA Fertility Center, Ashok Nagar Extension, VV Giri Nagar, Ashok Nagar, Hyderabad, 500020
Madhapur: Flat no: 301, survey no 58-60, Guttala begumpet Madhapur metro pillar: 1524, Rangareddy Hyderabad, Telangana 500081
Bangalore: Plot No: 99, 2nd floor, 80 Feet Road, Beside Poorvika Mobiles, Chandra Layout, Attiguppe, Near Vijaya Nagara, Bengaluru, 560040
