Outlook Magazine - A Piece of Paper - 09 November 2026 Issue

Millions of young Indians are stepping out of campus with degrees but no job offers. According to Niti Aayog, graduate unemployment stands at 13 per cent, higher than the national unemployment rate of 3.2 per cent. There is also the issue of mismatch between employment and degrees: only 8.25 per cent of graduates in India work in jobs that match their qualifications. Of the 3.4 crore students enrolled in undergraduate programmes, combined enrolment in B.A., B.Sc and B. Com exceeds two crore. However, degrees like these are not generating enough jobs. The problem is also systemic. Students have degrees, diplomas and certificates, but because of outdated curricula in many educational institutions, and higher and technical education failing to keep pace with changing industry requirements, they lack the required vocational skills and knowledge to keep pace with a demanding work culture. A large number of unemployable graduates in the country is likely to turn India’s demographic dividend into a liability.