# Indian youth employment and skilling challenges > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/indian-youth-employment-and-skilling-challenges > Updated: 2026-08-24T10:22:50.000Z. Sources: 19. Developments: 2. A report by NITI Aayog titled ‘Reimagining Skilling for Viksit Bharat@2047’ has identified that approximately 87 million Indians aged 15 to 29 are not in education, employment, or training (NEET). Based on 2021 National Sample Survey data, the report notes a mismatch between formal education and the labor market, stating that only 8.25% of college graduates hold roles aligned with their qualifications. To mitigate this, the report recommends integrating skill development into school curricula and providing subsidized training to help students ‘combine learning with earning’. Following the report, leaders from the Indian National Congress used the findings to criticize the government. MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra cited the data as evidence of a failing education system and a lack of job creation. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge further noted that youth unemployment stands at 15.6%, rising to 19.5% among young women. Expanding on these criticisms, Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the upcoming national census and employment policies. They urged the government to abandon a proposed ‘open-ended’ format for collecting caste data, arguing it is ‘misleading’ and could fragment communities into thousands of entries. They proposed a fixed ‘drop-down list’ model instead. Kharge also alleged that the administration is attempting to bypass constitutional reservation requirements for SC, ST, OBC, and EWS categories. He claimed the government is leaving millions of posts vacant in sectors such as Railways, Defense, and the Home Ministry, while shifting permanent roles to contractual labor, thereby undermining social justice. ## Timeline ### 2026-08-24: Congress leaders urge PM Modi to revise census caste data format Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi have urged PM Modi to revise the census caste data format to avoid inaccurate results and criticized the government over rising youth unemployment. 12 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/indian-national-congress-leaders-cite-record-youth-unemployment ### 2026-08-23: NITI Aayog report: 87 million young Indians are not studying or working A NITI Aayog report finds 87 million Indians aged 15-29 are not studying, working, or training, highlighting a major mismatch between college education and job market requirements. 7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/niti-aayog-report-87-million-young-indians-are-not-studying-or-working --- Cite as: Indian youth employment and skilling challenges. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/indian-youth-employment-and-skilling-challenges