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India's youth protests: Education and jobs fuel unrest
Unemployment among graduates under 25 hit 39% in 2023, worse than 1983. Protests from Ranchi to Delhi show a generation losing patience, a risk for India's growth story.
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Student protests have erupted across Indian states, from Jharkhand to Rajasthan, over exam irregularities and teacher shortages. In Ranchi, a 24-day protest forced the state government to cancel exams conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission. In Lucknow, girls jammed a road to complain about a school run by the social justice department that lacked enough teachers. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath intervened to provide more teachers.
The unrest is not isolated. Similar scenes played out in Alwar, Patna, Sugauli and Ujjain. The protests share two triggers: education and employment, according to Shashi Shekhar, editor-in-chief of Hindustan.
The scale of the employment problem is stark. A report by Azim Premji University found that 39% of graduates under 25 were unemployed in 2023. That is worse than the 35% rate in 1983. In the medical education sector, India has 136,939 seats nationwide, with private colleges having more seats than government ones. Private colleges charge exorbitant fees. They often have fewer facilities and faculty. At least 40% more medical seats are needed, the data shows.