New Delhi, Dec 10 India has the world's largest youth population, where 371 million aged between 15 and 29 years constitutes about 27 per cent of the total. This population, often referred to as a "demographic dividend", presents a significant opportunity for economic growth by expanding the workforce and reducing dependency ratios.
However, this potential needs to be realised by overcoming challenges in the job market. As per the Annual Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) report, the estimated Unemployment Rate (UR) among youth between 15-29 years of age in India has decreased from 17.8 per cent in 2017-18 to 10.2 per cent in 2023-24.
Incidentally, official data on employment is collected through PLFS, conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, where the survey period is July to June every year.
Employment generation, coupled with improving employability, is a priority and driven by multi-stakeholder initiative.
Budget 2025-26 addressed development measures across ten broad areas focusing on the poor, youth, farmers, and women.
India has a dedicated Department of Youth Affairs which addresses the demography and implements programmes like the National Youth Policy to address social and economic challenges and promote personality development and nation-building.
The National Youth Policy, 2025 envisions an India where every young person is empowered, healthy, skilled, socially responsible, and actively contributes to the nation’s development.
It puts forward the vision "To synergize the hopes and aspirations of India’s youth with its development imperatives, enabling harmonious societal growth and harnessing youth energy for inclusive development, responsible governance, and the realisation of Viksit Bharat by 2047".
Moreover, the Ministry of Labour and Employment is running the National Career Service (NCS) Portal – a one-stop solution for providing career related services.
It includes information on private and government sector jobs, on online and offline job fairs, job search and matching, career counselling, vocational guidance, information on skill development courses, employability enhancement programmes.
The services are available on a digital platform. Various other ministries and government departments too are implementing programmes for employment generation.
Among such schemes are the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM), Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY), Production Linked Incentive (PLI), etc.
Additionally, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY), Rural Self Employment and Training Institutes (RSETIs), are among other initiatives aimed at specific groups. Along with increase in capital expenditure, such programmes seek to boost employment creation, including the youth.
Meanwhile, Skill India Mission (SIM), aimed at enabling the youth to get future ready, equip them with industry-relevant expertise by training through an extensive network of centres and institutes under various schemes.
Among these are Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS), National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS) through ITIs. In the rural sector, various initiatives have been taken to promote farming as a viable career option for youth.
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has set up 731 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) in rural districts for dissemination of new technologies in agriculture and allied sectors through assessment, demonstration and capacity development among the extension functionaries and the farmers of the concerned district.
Simultaneously, 100 KVKs are implementing projects like Attracting and Retaining Youth in Agriculture (ARYA). Besides, Skill Training of Rural Youth (STRY) is being implemented while Support to State Extension Programs for Extension Reforms (ATMA) in 740 districts promotes decentralised and farmer-friendly extension system.
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