Students in central Delhi clashed with police this week over exam paper leaks and deeper frustrations. Their anger is not limited to a single incident but reflects a broader sense of frustration with the system.
Three main factors have fed this unrest. First, the central government has taken over many admission processes, such as NEET, moving power away from states. When something goes wrong, students naturally blame the centre.
Second, the cost of higher education remains a major barrier. Engineering and medical courses are still dominated by children from wealthier families. For poorer households, the price of leaked papers and re‑tests adds a heavy financial burden.
Third, the link between education and employment broke during the Covid era. While GDP rebounded quickly, the job market did not keep pace. The government’s focus on GDP growth has meant less attention to the real outcomes of education.
The 2026 State of Working India (SWI) report, which combines government data, CMIE job numbers and field surveys, is the main source for these insights.
Education has clear economic value. Over the past forty years, India’s growth has made families invest more in schooling. In 1983‑84, about 49% of men aged 15‑19 were studying; this rose to 73% in 2023‑24. For women, the figure increased from roughly 38% to 68%.
Higher education also boosts earnings. In 2023, an average male graduate earned 2.3 times the salary of a male who was illiterate. Female graduates earned about four times what an illiterate female worker earned.
Yet the benefits are uneven. The SWI 2026 data shows that the high cost keeps many students from poorer backgrounds out of engineering and medicine.
Employment trends have shifted. From 2017 to 2023, more young men aged 15‑19 were not studying because they needed to earn money, rising from 60% to 77%.
In 1983, 59% of male graduates were in salaried jobs and 13% worked in unpaid family roles. By 2023, only 54% held salaried jobs, while 21% were in unpaid work, mainly agriculture.
Women graduates saw a similar drop in salaried employment, slipping by about 20 percentage points to 67% in 2023.
If higher education is seen as a pyramid, the top is narrowing. Fewer students are staying on track when job prospects decline.
The government has long ignored these warning signs. The recent protests show that the issue can no longer be overlooked.
Addressing these problems will require reforms that bring admissions back to the states, reduce costs for poorer families, and strengthen the link between education and real jobs.