The graduate trap: why more degrees mean fewer jobs in India
India is producing more graduates than ever before, yet secure and meaningful employment remains elusive for millions. As unemployment rises with educational attainment, the country's celebrated demographic dividend faces a critical test. Unless education, skills and job creation are better aligned, India's greatest economic advantage could become one of its most serious long-term challenges.
A degree no longer guarantees a job
For generations, Indians have grown up with the belief that education is the surest route to a better life. The famous Bengali rhyme by Pandit Madanmohan Tarkalankar— "Study hard and you will ride in carriages"—captured that aspiration perfectly. In today's India, however, that promise is under unprecedented strain.
According to the latest State of Working India report by Azim Premji University, the unemployment rate among graduates aged 20–25 stands at around...
