Root causes: On India’s youth crisis

India’s youth crisis (युवा संकट) is about the absence (अभाव, कमी) of jobs, not just (केवल, मात्र) examination reform

It has been a few weeks since the youth agitation (युवाओं का आंदोलन) forced the resignation (इस्तीफा, त्यागपत्र) of then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The government conceded (मान लेना, स्वीकार करना) the students’ demands (मांग) for examination reform (परीक्षा सुधार), which found an echo (a reflection or repetition of an idea, feeling, or event; reflection, repetition, resonance) in the Prime Minister’s Independence Day address (a formal speech delivered to an audience; speech, talk, discourse, oration), when he announced free online coaching for competitive examinations using India’s digital public infrastructure (डिजिटल सार्वजनिक अवसंरचना). MoSPI’s survey data bears out (to support the truth of something or prove that someone is right; support, confirm, validate, corroborate) why this would be welcome (स्वागत योग्य, वांछनीय) to students — private coaching costs 16% of what an Indian family spends on a child’s education, against 12.5% in 2018, and nearly (लगभग, करीब-करीब) a quarter (one of four equal parts of something, representing 25 percent; one-fourth, twenty-five percent, a fourth part, 25%) of that budget by the higher secondary years (उच्चतर माध्यमिक वर्ष) which is when (exactly at the time that; at which point, during which time, precisely when, at that moment) the student prepares for competitive exams. Cheaper coaching is of limited value (सीमित मूल्य का) as quality professional education (व्यावसायिक शिक्षा) remains confined to (तक सीमित, तक प्रतिबंधित) a handful (a small number or amount of people or things; small number, a few) of institutions. For instance (as an example; for example, to illustrate, as an illustration, to give an example), over 22 lakh candidates (applicant, aspirant, contender, nominee) appeared (to present oneself formally to take an examination; sit for, take, undergo, participate in) in this year’s medical entrance exam for about 1.4 lakh undergraduate seats with fewer than 10,000 of them at the top 50 colleges. The situation is similar to the Joint Entrance Examination (the national engineering entrance examination system comprising JEE Main, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) since 2019, and JEE Advanced, conducted by the seven zonal IITs for admission to undergraduate programmes in the IITs; JEE Main is used for admission to institutions including NITs, IIITs and other participating institutions) for engineering colleges. That is perhaps (maybe, possibly, conceivably, probably) why, for the first time (initially, originally, unprecedentedly, anew) since (from a particular time in the past until a later time; from the time when, ever since, following, after) the All India Survey on Higher Education (an annual web-based survey initiated by the Ministry of Education (then Ministry of Human Resource Development) in 2010–11 to build a comprehensive database and assess the status of higher education in India; it collects data on institutions, students, teachers, programmes, examinations, finance, and infrastructure and generates indicators such as Gross Enrolment Ratio, Pupil-Teacher Ratio, and Gender Parity Index for policy planning and evaluation) began in 2011, undergraduate enrolment (the act of officially joining a course, school, or institution; admission, registration, intake, induction) fell by 93,322 in 2023-24, particularly (especially, exceptionally, specifically, notably) among (being a member or members of a larger set; surrounded by, in the middle of, between, within) young men. The fall (decline, drop, decrease, plunge) was the sharpest (most severe, most acute, most drastic, most profound) in Uttar Pradesh, where The Hindu’s analysis found undergraduate enrolment down 1.53 lakh even as (at the very same time that; while, whilst, just as, at the same time) diploma enrolment rose 1.38 lakh. An analysis of Periodic Labour Force Survey (a nationwide labour-market survey launched by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), in April 2017 to generate employment and unemployment estimates; it measures key indicators such as the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), Worker Population Ratio (WPR), and Unemployment Rate (UR), with annual estimates for rural and urban areas and, since 2025, monthly and quarterly estimates for both rural and urban areas) unit-level data found that of every 100 graduates aged 15 to 29 in 2025, only 26 were in regular salaried employment (a type of work where an employee receives a fixed regular payment, typically paid on a monthly basis; formal (steady & secure) employment), and just four had a salaried job (a position of regular employment that pays a fixed regular salary rather than hourly wages; permanent job, formal sector job) with a contract (agreement, commitment, arrangement, pact) and social security (monetary assistance or benefits provided by the state or an employer to people with an inadequate or no income; welfare, social insurance, financial safety net, employee benefits). The youth employment crisis (a severe economic situation characterized by high levels of joblessness among the young population; youth job scarcity, youth unemployment predicament) therefore (for that reason or consequently; consequently, as a result, hence, thus) has two ends (a part or aspect of a situation or problem; facet, side, aspect, component) — in the preparation for jobs, and in jobs themselves. Mere (just, only, simple, bare) free coaching would address (to think about and begin to deal with an issue or problem; tackle, confront, deal with, attend to) neither (not the one nor the other of two things; not either, no one, not one, none of the two).

The structural (systemic, fundamental, organizational, basic) problems in the Indian economy, despite (in spite of, regardless of, notwithstanding, in the face of) the government’s touting (praise, promote, endorse, urge) of 6%-6.5% growth, are now too obvious (easily perceived or understood; clear, self-evident, apparent, manifest) to ignore. Manufacturing, the job sector best placed (in the most advantageous position to do something; well-positioned, most suitable, ideal, well-situated) to absorb (assimilate, incorporate, integrate, take in) India’s college graduates, remains at around (approximately, roughly, about, nearly) a sixth of gross value added (the value of output produced by an economic activity or sector minus the value of intermediate inputs used in production; value added, economic contribution, sectoral output, production value. In India’s National Accounts, GVA at basic prices is a key measure of economic activity and is compiled by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI)), nowhere near (not at all close to a particular amount, level, or quality; far from, not nearly, completely unlike, miles away from) the quarter of the economy the government has long promised (to assure someone for a significant period that something will happen; pledge for a long time, commit for long, assure for years, vow repeatedly). Meanwhile (in the intervening period of time; in the meantime, for now, simultaneously, concurrently), the private sector (the part of the national economy that is not under direct state control; private business, non-public sector, corporate sector) has been retreating from (to withdraw or move back from a particular position, task, or commitment; withdraw from, pull back from, back away from, recoil from) its task (duty, job, assignment, responsibility) as corporate investment (the act of a company investing capital in its own operations or other businesses to generate profit or growth; business investment, capital expenditure, commercial funding) has fallen from 17.3% of GDP (the total monetary or market value of all the finished goods and services produced within a country’s borders in a specific time period) in 2007-08 to 10.3% in 2024-25, unmoved (not affected by emotion or not changed in purpose or opinion; unaffected, unswayed, indifferent, unconcerned) by the cut (reduction, decrease, drop, slash) in corporate tax from 30% to 22% in 2019. The steps required of the Union government are clear: (evident, obvious, plain, distinct) public investment (money spent by the government on public infrastructure, services, or amenities; state expenditure, government spending, state investment, public spending) in industrial capacity (the maximum output that an industrial economy, sector, or company can produce with its available resources; manufacturing potential, production capacity, industrial capability, manufacturing output), support for industry disciplined (to train someone or something to obey rules or a code of behavior; regulate, control, train, govern) by export performance (the outcome or success of a country or company in selling goods and services to foreign markets; export capability, international trade performance, foreign sales outcome) rather than (instead of or as opposed to; instead of, in place of, as an alternative to, opposed to) domestic (relating to the internal affairs or market of a particular country; internal, national, home, local) protection (the policy of shielding a country’s domestic industries from foreign competition by taxing imports; protectionism, safeguarding, defense, shielding), and tempering (moderate, mitigate, alleviate, tone down) a regulatory (controlling, directing, supervising, managerial) and enforcement (the act of compelling observance of or compliance with a law, rule, or obligation; imposition, implementation, application, execution) zeal (great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective; passion, enthusiasm, fervor, eagerness) that seems (to give the impression of being something or having a particular quality; appear, look, give the impression, come across as) to selectively (in a way that involves choosing carefully; discriminately, specifically, intentionally, exclusively) target (aim at, direct at, single out, focus on) enterprises (a business or company; business, company, firm, organization), affecting the jobs-catering (employment-generating, job-providing, employment-focused, labor-intensive) medium-sized companies in particular (especially, specifically, particularly, exactly). This route has a better chance (possibility, prospect, probability, likelihood) of delivering (to provide something promised or expected; provide, produce, yield, generate) jobs for the youth at the scale (at the required size, extent, or volume; at the magnitude, at the proportion, in the required amount, at the necessary level) needed and as countries such as (for example or of a kind that; for example, like, including, as an instance) Vietnam have shown.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.youth crisis (noun)

Hindi Meaning - युवा संकट
English Meaning - a situation in which young people face serious and persistent problems, particularly limited employment opportunities, insecure jobs, and inadequate pathways to education and work.

2.absence (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अभाव, कमी
English Meaning - lack, non-existence, unavailability, deprivation.

3.just (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - केवल, मात्र
English Meaning - only, simply, merely.

4.examination reform (noun)

Hindi Meaning - परीक्षा सुधार
English Meaning - a significant change or improvement made to the system of academic testing and assessment.

5.youth agitation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - युवाओं का आंदोलन
English Meaning - youth protest, youth unrest, youth demonstration, youth rebellion.

6.resignation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - इस्तीफा, त्यागपत्र
English Meaning - the act of formally giving up a job, office, or official position; stepping down, withdrawal, departure, relinquishment.

7.concede (verb)

Hindi Meaning - मान लेना, स्वीकार करना
English Meaning - to accept or admit something after initial resistance; acknowledge, admit, accept, yield.

8.demand (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मांग
English Meaning - a strong, urgent request for something; request, requirement, claim, appeal.

9.digital public infrastructure (noun)

Hindi Meaning - डिजिटल सार्वजनिक अवसंरचना
English Meaning - foundational digital systems and networks built to deliver essential services to citizens at scale; public digital framework, national digital network.

10.welcome (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - स्वागत योग्य, वांछनीय
English Meaning - gladly received, producing a good effect, or much needed; pleasing, agreeable, desired, appreciated.

11.nearly (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - लगभग, करीब-करीब
English Meaning - very close to; almost, approximately, virtually, roughly.

12.higher secondary year (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उच्चतर माध्यमिक वर्ष
English Meaning - the final two years of school education in India (Classes 11 and 12) before undergraduate studies; pre-university year, senior secondary year.

13.of limited value (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - सीमित मूल्य का
English Meaning - having very little usefulness, importance, or worth; unhelpful, insignificant, negligible, inconsequential.

14.professional education (noun)

Hindi Meaning - व्यावसायिक शिक्षा
English Meaning - formal training and learning designed to prepare individuals for specific specialized careers; career-oriented education, vocational training, professional training.

15.confined to (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - तक सीमित, तक प्रतिबंधित
English Meaning - limited to, restricted to, constrained to, bound to.

16.root cause (noun)

English Meaning - the fundamental reason for the occurrence of a problem; basic cause, underlying reason, primary source, main origin.

17.echo (noun)

English Meaning - a reflection or repetition of an idea, feeling, or event; reflection, repetition, resonance.

18.address (noun)

English Meaning - a formal speech delivered to an audience; speech, talk, discourse, oration.

19.the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) (noun)

English Meaning - a ministry of the Government of India concerned with the coverage and quality aspects of statistics released.

20.bear out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to support the truth of something or prove that someone is right; support, confirm, validate, corroborate.

21.quarter (noun)

English Meaning - one of four equal parts of something, representing 25 percent; one-fourth, twenty-five percent, a fourth part, 25%.

22.which is when (phrase)

English Meaning - exactly at the time that; at which point, during which time, precisely when, at that moment.

23.handful (noun)

English Meaning - a small number or amount of people or things; small number, a few.

24.for instance (phrase)

English Meaning - as an example; for example, to illustrate, as an illustration, to give an example.

25.candidate (noun)

English Meaning - applicant, aspirant, contender, nominee.

26.appear (verb)

English Meaning - to present oneself formally to take an examination; sit for, take, undergo, participate in.

27.such as (phrase)

English Meaning - for example or of a kind that; for example, like, including, as an instance.

28.Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) (proper noun)

English Meaning - the national engineering entrance examination system comprising JEE Main, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) since 2019, and JEE Advanced, conducted by the seven zonal IITs for admission to undergraduate programmes in the IITs; JEE Main is used for admission to institutions including NITs, IIITs and other participating institutions.

29.perhaps (adverb)

English Meaning - maybe, possibly, conceivably, probably.

30.for the first time (phrase)

English Meaning - initially, originally, unprecedentedly, anew.

31.since (conjunction)

English Meaning - from a particular time in the past until a later time; from the time when, ever since, following, after.

32.All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) (proper noun)

English Meaning - an annual web-based survey initiated by the Ministry of Education (then Ministry of Human Resource Development) in 2010–11 to build a comprehensive database and assess the status of higher education in India; it collects data on institutions, students, teachers, programmes, examinations, finance, and infrastructure and generates indicators such as Gross Enrolment Ratio, Pupil-Teacher Ratio, and Gender Parity Index for policy planning and evaluation.

33.enrolment (noun)

English Meaning - the act of officially joining a course, school, or institution; admission, registration, intake, induction.

34.fall (verb)

English Meaning - decline, drop, decrease, plunge.

35.particularly (adverb)

English Meaning - especially, exceptionally, specifically, notably.

36.among (preposition)

English Meaning - being a member or members of a larger set; surrounded by, in the middle of, between, within.

37.fall (noun)

English Meaning - decline, drop, dip, reduction.

38.sharpest (adjective)

English Meaning - most severe, most acute, most drastic, most profound.

39.even as (phrase)

English Meaning - at the very same time that; while, whilst, just as, at the same time.

40.Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) (proper noun)

English Meaning - a nationwide labour-market survey launched by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), in April 2017 to generate employment and unemployment estimates; it measures key indicators such as the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), Worker Population Ratio (WPR), and Unemployment Rate (UR), with annual estimates for rural and urban areas and, since 2025, monthly and quarterly estimates for both rural and urban areas.

41.salaried employment (noun)

English Meaning - a type of work where an employee receives a fixed regular payment, typically paid on a monthly basis; formal (steady & secure) employment.

42.salaried job (noun)

English Meaning - a position of regular employment that pays a fixed regular salary rather than hourly wages; permanent job, formal sector job.

43.contract (noun)

English Meaning - agreement, commitment, arrangement, pact.

44.social security (noun)

English Meaning - monetary assistance or benefits provided by the state or an employer to people with an inadequate or no income; welfare, social insurance, financial safety net, employee benefits.

45.youth employment crisis (noun)

English Meaning - a severe economic situation characterized by high levels of joblessness among the young population; youth job scarcity, youth unemployment predicament.

46.therefore (adverb)

English Meaning - for that reason or consequently; consequently, as a result, hence, thus.

47.end (noun)

English Meaning - a part or aspect of a situation or problem; facet, side, aspect, component.

48.mere (adjective)

English Meaning - just, only, simple, bare.

49.address (verb)

English Meaning - to think about and begin to deal with an issue or problem; tackle, confront, deal with, attend to.

50.neither (pronoun)

English Meaning - not the one nor the other of two things; not either, no one, not one, none of the two.

51.structural (adjective)

English Meaning - systemic, fundamental, organizational, basic.

52.despite (preposition)

English Meaning - in spite of, regardless of, notwithstanding, in the face of.

53.tout (verb)

English Meaning - praise, promote, endorse, urge.

54.obvious (adjective)

English Meaning - easily perceived or understood; clear, self-evident, apparent, manifest.

55.best placed (adjective)

English Meaning - in the most advantageous position to do something; well-positioned, most suitable, ideal, well-situated.

56.absorb (verb)

English Meaning - assimilate, incorporate, integrate, take in.

57.around (adverb)

English Meaning - approximately, roughly, about, nearly.

58.gross value added (GVA) (noun)

English Meaning - the value of output produced by an economic activity or sector minus the value of intermediate inputs used in production; value added, economic contribution, sectoral output, production value. In India’s National Accounts, GVA at basic prices is a key measure of economic activity and is compiled by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).

59.nowhere near (phrase)

English Meaning - not at all close to a particular amount, level, or quality; far from, not nearly, completely unlike, miles away from.

60.long promised (phrase)

English Meaning - to assure someone for a significant period that something will happen; pledge for a long time, commit for long, assure for years, vow repeatedly.

61.long-promised (adjective)

English Meaning - having been promised or expected for a long time but not yet delivered or fulfilled; long-awaited, anticipated, overdue, expected.

62.meanwhile (adverb)

English Meaning - in the intervening period of time; in the meantime, for now, simultaneously, concurrently.

63.private sector (noun)

English Meaning - the part of the national economy that is not under direct state control; private business, non-public sector, corporate sector.

64.retreat from (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to withdraw or move back from a particular position, task, or commitment; withdraw from, pull back from, back away from, recoil from.

65.task (noun)

English Meaning - duty, job, assignment, responsibility.

66.corporate investment (noun)

English Meaning - the act of a company investing capital in its own operations or other businesses to generate profit or growth; business investment, capital expenditure, commercial funding.

67.Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (noun)

English Meaning - the total monetary or market value of all the finished goods and services produced within a country’s borders in a specific time period.

68.unmoved (adjective)

English Meaning - not affected by emotion or not changed in purpose or opinion; unaffected, unswayed, indifferent, unconcerned.

69.cut (noun)

English Meaning - reduction, decrease, drop, slash.

70.clear (adjective)

English Meaning - evident, obvious, plain, distinct.

71.public investment (noun)

English Meaning - money spent by the government on public infrastructure, services, or amenities; state expenditure, government spending, state investment, public spending.

72.industrial capacity (noun)

English Meaning - the maximum output that an industrial economy, sector, or company can produce with its available resources; manufacturing potential, production capacity, industrial capability, manufacturing output.

73.discipline (verb)

English Meaning - to train someone or something to obey rules or a code of behavior; regulate, control, train, govern.

74.export performance (noun)

English Meaning - the outcome or success of a country or company in selling goods and services to foreign markets; export capability, international trade performance, foreign sales outcome.

75.rather than (phrase)

English Meaning - instead of or as opposed to; instead of, in place of, as an alternative to, opposed to.

76.domestic (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to the internal affairs or market of a particular country; internal, national, home, local.

77.protection (noun)

English Meaning - the policy of shielding a country’s domestic industries from foreign competition by taxing imports; protectionism, safeguarding, defense, shielding.

78.temper (verb)

English Meaning - moderate, mitigate, alleviate, tone down.

79.regulatory (adjective)

English Meaning - controlling, directing, supervising, managerial.

80.enforcement (noun)

English Meaning - the act of compelling observance of or compliance with a law, rule, or obligation; imposition, implementation, application, execution.

81.zeal (noun)

English Meaning - great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective; passion, enthusiasm, fervor, eagerness.

82.seem (verb)

English Meaning - to give the impression of being something or having a particular quality; appear, look, give the impression, come across as.

83.selectively (adverb)

English Meaning - in a way that involves choosing carefully; discriminately, specifically, intentionally, exclusively.

84.target (verb)

English Meaning - aim at, direct at, single out, focus on.

85.enterprise (noun)

English Meaning - a business or company; business, company, firm, organization.

86.jobs-catering (adjective)

English Meaning - employment-generating, job-providing, employment-focused, labor-intensive.