We tell young people to study hard and build a better future. But are we giving them enough opportunities to do so?
You finish your studies, earn a degree and start looking for work.
Months pass. Applications go unanswered. Your family begins asking when you’ll find a job.
This is the situation of youth now.
India has made remarkable progress since Independence. Literacy increased from 18.32% in 1951 to 74.04% in 2011, while higher education enrolment reached 4.50 crore in 2023–24.
But there is still a question worth asking:
| Ever wondered why some graduates still need help filling out a simple application form? |
After spending years in classrooms, why do some of us still find such everyday tasks difficult?
It makes us wonder: Are we truly learning the skills we need for life?
1. Years of Education, but Are We Learning Enough?
Think about the years we spend in classrooms.
We learn formulas, memorise answers and prepare for examinations. Yet some of us still struggle to complete an official form, understand a bank challan or manage everyday financial tasks.
Shouldn’t education prepare us for these situations too?
| Did you know? ASER 2023 found that among young people aged 14–18 surveyed in selected rural districts:About 25% could not fluently read a Class 2-level text.Only 43.3% could solve a basic division problem. |
ASER 2024 showed improvement in children’s basic reading and arithmetic skills. Still, many students need stronger learning support.
What needs to change?
Schools and colleges need updated, practical syllabi that connect lessons with everyday life. Trained teachers, working laboratories, hands-on activities and assessments that test understanding must become part of quality education.
What matters is not just what students remember in an examination, but what they can do with what they’ve learned.
2. What Happens When Education Becomes Too Expensive?
You’ve secured admission to a college. You’re excited about the course.
Then your family starts calculating the fees, travel expenses, books and accommodation.
For some students, those costs decide whether they can continue studying.
And money is not the only difficulty. Distance, unsafe travel, family responsibilities and a lack of academic support can also interrupt education.
| According to UDISE+, the secondary-stage dropout rate is 7.0% in 2025–26. It states that students are still leaving education before completing it. |
What needs to change?
- Scholarships and financial assistance that reach eligible students on time.
- Affordable transport, safe hostels and nearby educational facilities.
- Early support for students at risk of dropping out.
A student’s education should not end because continuing it has become too difficult for the family.
3. A Degree in Hand, but Where Is the Job?
Getting a degree is a proud moment. For many families, it represents years of savings and sacrifice.
But what happens when graduation is followed by months of unemployment?
You apply for one vacancy after another. Some employers never respond. Meanwhile, expenses continue and the pressure to find work grows.
The numbers tell us
According to PLFS 2025, unemployment among young people aged 15–29 in the labour force was:
| Area | Unemployment rate |
| All India | 9.9% |
| Urban India | 13.6% |
| Rural India | 8.3% |
Even among those who find employment, low wages and insecure work remain concerns.
What does a degree mean to someone who still cannot find work that provides a decent living?
What needs to change?
Governments need to support sustainable job creation, local industries, small businesses and entrepreneurship.
Colleges should strengthen career guidance and placement support, while employment policies should focus on decent wages and job security.
Young people need jobs that offer a future, not just an income for today.
4. The First Graduate in a Family
Imagine being the first person in your family to enter college.
Your parents are proud, but neither has been through the admission process. You have to figure out which course to choose, how to apply for scholarships and where to find affordable accommodation.
For students from rural areas, a distant college can mean additional travel expenses, unfamiliar surroundings and limited access to guidance.
Did you know?
India’s overall Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education stands at 30% for the 2023–24 academic year, according to the official AISHE report released by the Ministry of Education.
It shows that participation in higher education remains limited relative to the population of that age.
Getting into college is one challenge. Finding the right support to complete a degree is another.
What needs to change?
Rural and first-generation students need support on admission, clear scholarship guidance, affordable accommodation and mentoring throughout college.
Institutions should also track students who struggle academically or financially and offer help before they discontinue their courses.
Being the first graduate in a family should be a proud beginning, not a journey students must figure out alone.
5. We Have Young Talent. But Are We Helping It Grow?
Imagine completing a computer course without enough time to work on a computer. Or studying a technical subject without proper laboratory facilities.
How can students feel confident about their skills if they rarely get a chance to practise them?
Did you know?
PLFS 2025 reported that among people aged 15–29: Only 5% had received or were receiving formal vocational or technical training and 25% were not in employment, education or training.
That second figure does not mean 25% were unemployed. It includes young people in different circumstances, including those with care responsibilities.
Still, these findings raise an important question: Are we providing enough ways for young people to continue learning and move towards suitable work?
What needs to change?
Practical training, affordable skill-development programmes and paid apprenticeships should be more widely available, including in rural districts.
Training should also reflect current industry needs and provide opportunities to apply new skills.
Young people should not have to move from one certificate to another without gaining a useful path forward.
What Must Change for India’s Youth?
The problems are familiar. What young people need now is action that improves their everyday lives.
| The challenge | What needs to improve |
| Learning gaps | Updated syllabi and practical education |
| School and college dropouts | Timely scholarships and affordable facilities |
| Youth unemployment | Sustainable jobs and decent wages |
| Barriers facing rural and first-generation students | Guidance, mentoring and accessible higher education |
| Limited practical training | Affordable skill programmes and paid apprenticeships |
But announcements alone cannot tell us whether these efforts are working.
We should ask:
- Did the scholarship help the student continue studying?
- Did the training help someone develop useful skills?
- Did the graduate find suitable employment?
Those are the outcomes that matter.
What Will We Tell the Next Generation?
India has expanded education and opened opportunities that earlier generations could only dream of.
Yet some students still struggle to finish their studies, find guidance or secure meaningful employment.
When we call young people “the future of India,” we must remember that their future depends on what we provide today.
After decades of Independence, they deserve quality education, equal opportunity, practical skills and decent work.
75 years of governance – what have you done for India’s youth?
And more importantly, what will you do differently for the next generation?
