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From Degree to Despair: The Crisis of Jobless Youth in India

“Padh likh ke kya faayda, jab naukri hi nahi milti…”

This line, softly whispered in tea stalls, homes, and hostel rooms across India, hides a storm—a storm of broken dreams, misplaced faith, and an education system that promises but rarely delivers.

🌾 A Degree, But No Direction

India celebrates its youth — over 66% under the age of 35 — yet many of them are stuck in a paradox: educated, but unemployed.

Every year, 1 crore+ students graduate from colleges. They carry degrees, but often no real direction. Especially in rural and semi-urban areas, young people return home overqualified for local work, and underprepared for jobs that demand practical skills.


📊 The Hard-Hitting Truth (Govt & National Reports)

  • 🧑‍🎓 Youth unemployment (age 15–29) stands at 15.8% (CMIE 2024).
  • 📉 Only 45.9% of graduates are employable by industry standards (India Skills Report 2024).
  • 🔧 Less than 20% of engineering graduates get placed in their core sector (AICTE).
  • 🏘️ In rural India, over 80% of students lack access to internships, mentorship, or job-readiness programs.

These statistics are not just numbers — they represent millions of unheard stories, where dreams quietly fade without a future.


💔 Why the System Fails

  1. Theory Without Practice
    Outdated textbooks, rote learning, and a missing focus on real-world application make students book-smart but job-unready.
  2. No Career Guidance
    Students often choose degrees blindly, unaware of job options or market demands.
  3. Disconnected Colleges & Companies
    Most colleges don’t teach tools like Excel, Canva, coding, or even email writing — things every job today demands.
  4. Confidence & Communication Gaps
    Rural youth, in particular, struggle with English, soft skills, and public speaking — even when they have talent.
  5. One Dream, One Route
    With limited exposure, students prepare for government jobs for years — missing out on growing sectors like freelancing, digital services, or entrepreneurship.


🌱 The Road Ahead: A New Way to Learn

The system needs more than a patch—it needs a rethink.

And that’s where platforms like Sahaj Shiksha come in — not as an alternative to schooling, but as a bridge between education and employability.


🔑 What Can Be Done (and How Sahaj Shiksha Helps)

Skill-Based Learning from School Level

We must teach students how to think, not just what to remember. Sahaj Shiksha introduces job-readiness modules — from digital literacy to creative thinking — even in rural schools.

Bridging the Rural-Urban Gap

Using regional language content, mobile-first access, and local mentors, Sahaj Shiksha ensures students in villages learn the same future-ready skills as their urban peers.

Learning by Doing

We believe every child should experience freelancing, micro-internships, or gig learning while still in school. Sahaj Shiksha’s micro-skilling paths make that possible — even with limited resources.

Confidence with Communication

From public speaking to email writing and interview prep, our sessions boost not just knowledge, but self-belief.

Career Awareness

Our platform helps students explore new-age careers — content creation, AI, digital marketing, cyber-security — fields they’ve never been told about.


💡 Final Thought: Unlocking India’s Potential

A degree should be a door to opportunity, not a wall of frustration.

India’s youth are not lacking talent — they’re lacking the right support and direction.

With simple, accessible platforms like Sahaj Shiksha, we can create not just graduates — but thinkers, doers, and leaders who are ready for tomorrow.

If we change what we teach, we change who they become.

Let’s build a future where no one asks, “Padh likh ke kya faayda?” — because learning will finally lead to living.

Aniruddh 12 June 2025
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Government Exams or Gig Work? The Choice That Defines a Generation