The recent youth protests at Jantar Mantar in Delhi emerged as a blazing expression of anger symbolizing the simmering discontent that has accumulated over issues such as rising unemployment, shrinking employment opportunities, the looming economic crisis, failures in higher education and recruitment examinations, and the non-filling of vacant government posts. It would be incorrect to view these protests merely as demonstrations against examination paper leaks. Rather, they represent a political response from the youth to the social and economic crisis created by the economic and communal-political policies implemented in the country over the past twelve years. 
During the 2014 elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party promised to create two crore jobs every year. By that calculation, nearly 24 crore employment opportunities should have been created between 2014 and 2026. However, the hardships faced by young people across the country in their search for jobs reveal the extent to which that promise has been fulfilled. Millions of young men and women spend years studying in coaching centers under difficult conditions, waiting endlessly for examinations, while the most valuable years of their lives melt away like candles.
Although the government’s Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) statistics claim that the unemployment rate has declined, they do not present the complete picture regarding the quality of employment. According to the central government, the unemployment rate among youth aged 15–29 stood at 10.2 percent in 2023–24. However, the India Employment Report 2024, jointly released by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Institute for Human Development (IHD), revealed that approximately 82.9 percent of the country’s unemployed are young people. The report also noted that unemployment among educated youth is even more severe, rising from 23.9 percent in 2000 to 30.8 percent by 2019. Another statistic highlights the grim reality facing young people. According to ILO estimates, the unemployment rate among Indian youth aged 15–24 was around 16 percent in 2024. In other words, one out of every six young people was unemployed. At the same time, differences exist between official statistics and estimates from independent organizations such as CMIE. These discrepancies continue to fuel debate about the true state of employment in India.
Alongside the employment crisis, the condition of government recruitment is also alarming. Various parliamentary replies and government reports have revealed that between eight and ten lakh vacancies have existed in central government departments at different points in time. Thousands of positions remain vacant in the railways, defense sector, postal department, central universities, research institutions, and the judiciary. While millions of unemployed youth wait for jobs, the failure to fill government vacancies raises serious questions about the priorities of those in power. At the same time, India’s economy is being promoted as one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. GDP is increasing, and stock markets are reaching record highs. Yet this growth is not translating into jobs. According to the ILO report, although India’s Gross Value Added (GVA) grew at an average annual rate of 6.7 percent between 2012 and 2019, employment growth during the same period was only 0.01 percent. In other words, economic growth occurred, but jobs were not created. Economists describe this phenomenon as ‘Jobless growth’.
Meanwhile, wealth concentration in the country has increased rapidly. Over the past decade, the wealth of leading corporate groups has grown dramatically. In particular, the fortunes of billionaires such as Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani have become subjects of global discussion. The number of billionaires in India, as well as their combined wealth, has increased significantly during the last decade. At the same time, problems such as unemployment, insecure employment, farmers’ indebtedness, and the slow growth of workers’ minimum wages continue. In 2019, the central government significantly reduced corporate tax rates. The tax rate for existing companies was cut from 30 percent to 22 percent, while the rate for new manufacturing firms was reduced from 25 percent to 15 percent. Estimates suggested that this decision resulted in a revenue loss of approximately one lakh crore rupees for the government. The government argued that these tax cuts would stimulate investment and generate employment. However, several analyses have indicated that job growth did not increase to the expected extent in the years that followed. The India Employment Report 2024 brought another crucial issue to light: 82.9 percent of the country’s unemployed are young people. This means that unemployment has primarily become a youth issue. It is not merely an economic problem; it also affects social stability, the future of families, the education system, and democratic institutions. When examined from the proper perspective, the roots of the problem become clear. In a capitalist system, the goal of production is not to meet human needs but to maximize profits. Consequently, practices such as automation, contract employment, outsourcing, and the gig economy continue to expand. Reducing the number of workers in order to increase profits is an inherent tendency of capitalism. As a result, wealth becomes concentrated in the hands of a few, while insecure employment, unemployment and inequality continue to grow.
For India’s economy to truly strengthen, it is not enough for stock markets alone to rise. What is needed are dignified jobs for young people, expansion of the public sector, filling vacant government posts, increased public investment in education and healthcare, protection of labor rights, and the provision of equal opportunities. Otherwise, the voice heard at Jantar Mantar today may evolve into a much more powerful movement across the country tomorrow.