India’s measures to tackle youth unemployment crisis dismissed as inadequate

“I got to know the job was for loading and unloading cargo in planes only after reaching the location. It doesn’t even require a graduate degree. I even borrowed 20 rupees from my friend to iron my clothes for the job interview,” Mankar told This Week in Asia.

He returned home drenched and feeling dejected, but he was not alone. About 25,000 other applicants left the job fair empty-handed, as local authorities could not conduct interviews because of overcrowding and only collected their application forms.

“I have been jobless for over two years now … I have tried every little opportunity but couldn’t get any steady job so far,” Mankar said in a trembling voice.

Mankar is one of tens of millions of young Indians who have been struggling to find work amid a severe unemployment crisis. Analysts warn that the Indian government’s attempts to address the crisis are inadequate.

In February, over 4.7 million applicants competed for 60,000 job vacancies to join the police of Uttar Pradesh state. Other Indian states have reported a similar job application rush in recent years.

During the annual budget announcement on Tuesday, the government unveiled a special US$24 billion package to boost job creation and the skills of workers. The measures are on top of other similar schemes aimed at slowing unemployment over the next five years.

The opposition has said the government’s proposals did not go nearly far enough to tackle the problem.

India’s unemployment rate was 3.2 per cent in the 2022-2023 financial year, according to official data. The youth unemployment rate dropped to 10 per cent over the period from 17.8 per cent in the 2017-2018 financial year. Many economists have doubts about the government’s figures.

The independent Centre for