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Decades later their flock reached 120; alarming Yellowstone officials AI generated representational image During election coverage, a common refrain among older folks is their concern that young people are sitting at home without jobs, sometimes not even looking for one, happily scrolling through reels. Talk to young people and they often speak of a lack of coherent job opportunities or the skills that match the demands of the market.These often-heard anecdotes are given a more coherent shape in Reimagining Skilling for Viksit Bharat@2047, a new report from the government’s policy think tank NITI Aayog. The report attempts a candid diagnosis of where India is, and how it can become a developed nation by 2047, the centenary of Independence.Beyond merely ticking boxes on broad numbers of people trained, the report examines the barriers that determine whether skilling actually leads to work. Money, information, mobility, family circumstances, access to institutions and exposure to the workplace all matter. In that sense, it also tells a larger story about how the circumstances into which a young person is born can influence where he or she gets slotted in life.The report focuses, among others, on a group of young Indians who do not fit neatly into the conventional categories. They are neither in school or college, nor employed or undergoing training. Policy researchers have an acronym for them: NEET, or Not in Education, Employment or Training.What exactly is NEET?NITI Aayog’s new report puts 8.7 crore people in a NEET youth bucket in its map of India’s population. After the figure was interpreted in some reports as a measure of unemployment, the government issued a clarification. It said the 8.7 crore estimate refers to young people who were not seeking employment, while the unemployed form a separate category drawn from a different population base.In the NITI report, NEET youth are defined as those aged 15 to 29 who are not engaged in education, employment or training. The footnote describes approximately nine crore as “NEET excluding seeking jobs”, based on the NSS 78th Round of 2021, and says roughly 88% were engaged in domestic duties.In its clarification, the government has provided further clarity. It said the category includes young people engaged in voluntary work or household enterprises, attending to domestic duties, unable to work because of a health condition, spending leisure time, and others.Unpacking what is NEETThe Covid factorNITI’s population exhibit starts with an estimated 145 crore Indians. It shows 65.4 crore, or 45.1%, in the labour force, and 79.6 crore, or 54.9%, outside it.Among those in the labour force, the exhibit shows 29.23 crore in agriculture, 34.24 crore in non-agricultural work and around 2 crore unemployed. The unemployed are part of the labour force because they are seeking employment.The population outside the labour force is split into roughly 29.1 crore students, 11.3 crore children below five, 15.7 crore people aged 59-plus, 14.7 crore in other categories and 8.7 crore NEET youth.There is another important qualification. The 8.7 crore estimate is based on the NSS 78th Round of 2021, which included a Multiple Indicator Survey (MIS) to assess different socio-economic parameters. The government subsequently pointed out that the data used to calculate this figure was collected in FY2020-21, during the Covid-19 pandemic, when education and employment were severely disrupted. It said the figure could therefore represent a deviation from the normal trajectory.The government points to the latest PLFS to say that the youth NEET percentage is now “significantly lower”. The PLFS Annual Report 2025 estimates that 25.0% of Indians aged 15 to 29 were not in employment, education or training under the usual-status measure. For those aged 15 to 24, the corresponding figure was 21.0%.The NITI report itself warns that its population exhibit is a “static snapshot” constructed using different datasets, including PLFS, UDISE, AISHE and NSS, with reference years ranging from 2021 to 2024.NITI followed a mixed-method approach across five groups of school students, tertiary learners, formal and informal non-agricultural workers, NEET youth, and women as a cross-cutting segment. Agriculture was excluded because NITI says the sector requires a separate analytical framework.Its quantitative evidence draws on the MSDE State of Skills Survey 2024, covering roughly 8,000 learners, and BCG’s Higher Education Survey 2023, covering roughly 4,000, supplemented by more than 60 in-depth interviews, focus groups and industry conversations.NEET youth have an information problemAmong surveyed NEET youth who had not undertaken or completed a skilling programme, 43% cited lack of awareness of the right programmes as one of their top three reasons for not pursuing skilling. The corresponding proportion was 55% among informal workers, 52% among formal workers, 47% among women and 36% among higher-education students.The report says young people often make choices based on examination scores, family preferences, cost or social prestige rather than a clear understanding of what exactly is needed to get a job. Vocational education and ITIs are often viewed as second-tier options, while online courses are often perceived as unreliable.The money problemNITI describes affordability as a “binding constraint”.NEET youth, it says, face the particular disadvantage of having no income while also carrying the sunk cost of their previous education. In simple terms, that is the cost already incurred on an education that may not have translated into work.For low-income workers, even a free course can be expensive if attending it means losing wages. In other words, the opportunity cost of training can remain high even when the course itself is free.The report shows how price-sensitive the wider skilling market is. More than 80% of informal workers who undertake skilling do so either free or for less than ₹10,000. Among women who undergo skilling, 72% either take a free course or pay less than ₹5,000, compared with 52% of men.NITI’s prescription for NEET youth is based on understanding this ground reality. It advocates affordable or subsidised training with financial support, along with the ability to combine learning with earning instead of having to stop work for weeks or months.Courses have ‘weak outcome orientation’NITI says 82% of NEET respondents report a foundational gap in existing skilling programmes involving job-interview preparation and placement tie-ups.This is where the report turns its gaze on the skilling system itself. NITI describes “weak outcome orientation” as a “core limitation” of many existing skilling programmes. It says programmes often prioritise enrolment and completion over placement, progression or income outcomes.That observation becomes significant when set against the sheer scale of India’s skilling push. The report says more than 7.67 crore individuals have been trained since 2014-15, while around ₹34,000 crore was allocated towards skilling-related expenditure across central ministries in FY2025-26.The government, meanwhile, says it has begun implementing some of the report’s recommendations. It points to the ₹600 crore Integrated Scheme in Skilling Architecture (ISSA) announced in the Union Budget 2026-27 as part of an effort to strengthen convergence across education, skilling, employment and lifelong learning.Reasons behind feeling disconnectedThe problem NITI identifies is visible even among people still in education.It says 80% of higher-education students cite lack of practical experience and industry exposure as a major pain point, while 47% of formal workers identify lack of prior work experience and internships as the top challenge when finding new jobs.Among undergraduate students dissatisfied with their education outcome, 34% cited lacking skills and 18% inadequate interview preparation. Among higher-education students aspiring to entrepreneurship, the report says 61% are unaware of pathways to pursue it.The larger point is that a degree by itself does not guarantee workplace readiness. Somewhere between the classroom, the training centre and the employer, the route from learning to earning needs to be more robust.An illustrative pathwayNITI uses a character called “Meera” to illustrate how its proposed system might work.In the illustration, she gains some vocational exposure in school but drops out following household constraints and early marriage at 18, becoming NEET. She then discovers a nearby short-term beauty course, receives a skill voucher, moves into a nearby part-time salon job and ultimately towards self-employment.In NITI’s illustration, that part-time job pays ₹15,000 a month, before she starts taking clients independently.The point is that for someone who has dropped out of both learning and earning, the route back is unlikely to be a single jump from NEET to a permanent salaried job. It will generally go through a short course, flexible work and then a steadier livelihood.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesThe official unemployment count, then, is only one measure. What also matters is whether young Indians stay connected to at least one of three systems of education, training or earning.NITI’s findings point to something larger than a skills gap. They also point to a privilege gap.Bridging that privilege gap may be the most sober takeaway from NITI’s roadmap to 2047. India’s demographic dividend will not be realised merely by counting how many people receive training certificates. It will depend on whether young Indians, irrespective of the circumstances they start with, have a credible route from learning to earning.As economist and philosopher Amartya Sen wrote in Development as Freedom, “Development can be seen … as a process of expanding the real freedoms that people enjoy.”Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorArghya Prasun RoychowdhuryInterested in politics, policy, data and cricket.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos18 Rounds, Point-Blank: How Haryanvi Singer Ankit Balyan Was Gunned Down Outside Gym In UPIndia-China Talks Yield 8-Point Consensus; New Military Hotlines, Border Talks On The TableSkardu Base Was India’s Target During Operation Sindoor, Ex-CDS Reveals Why Strike Was Aborted’Gone In Seconds’: Kailash Mansarovar Pilgrims Missing, 77 Isha Foundation Members Among ThemSinger Mary Millben Hits Back Over ‘Anti-Modi’ Politics Over Mohan Bhagwat New York Event105 Indians Missing In Nepal Flash Floods; Tibet-Side Surge Leaves Eight Dead | Watch‘Big Reveal’ Or Big Scam? 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MIT built an AI system to map extreme events that have never happened before SBI Clerk recruitment 2026: Registration for 1,538 backlog vacancies ends today; direct link to apply here Quote of the day by Tim Curry: ‘Being a vagabond is not defined by distance travelled…a vagabond looks upon the world as a field of potential and possibility,’ words of wisdom that highlight the importance of finding freedom, adventure and endless opportunities in life Alix Earle’s family bought a New Jersey mansion for $2.25 million in 2013; now worth about $4.1 million, the home is becoming a backdrop for her Netflix reality show Nepal Floods: ‘OMG, OMG!’ Villagers run for life as flash flood chases them after engulfing bridge – watch video Weaker rupee may push foreign assets above FAST-DS Rs 1 crore limit: Taxpayers could lose the disclosure window which allows lower 60% tax outgo and face a steeper income tax bill GATE 2027 registration begins: IIT Madras makes DigiLocker mandatory, introduces Robotics and Automation paper, check direct link to apply here Brad Pitt returns in the ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ sequel: First look of ‘Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth’ revealed “Do people wait for instructions from the top or seize the initiative?” Sridhar Vembu explains why ‘disciplined’ workplaces can kill initiative Raksha Bandhan 2026: Puja Muhurat, when to tie rakhi and 5 auspicious tips from Dr. Jai Madaan Hong Kong home prices fall for first time since March 2025 A teaspoon of healthy soil contains more living organisms than there are humans on Earth, yet scientists say most species remain unknown IICT, Netflix announce scholarships for 100 students; applications open till September 30 Kartik Aaryan resumes shooting for Anurag Basu’s romantic drama with Sreeleela while recovering from knee surgery with close-up scenes planned around his recovery – Report Beginner’s guide to understanding Indian handloom fabrics Raksha Bandhan 2026 (Aug 28): Puja Vidhi, Bhadra Timings & Shubh Muhurat to Tie Rakhi Training aircraft crashes near Ganga Barrage in Kanpur; pilot killed, another critical Brazil’s polluted Rio mangroves were disappearing under waste; then local fishers restored 18.2 hectares and more than 60 animal species returned | World News Satkar Sakhis played crucial role in making Mukh Mantri Mawan-Dheeyan Satkar Yojna successful Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday said 76.11 lakh women have been registered under the state government’s Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojna.He said a sum of Rs 2,381 crore has already been transferred into the accounts of 68.06 lakh women.Under the Mukh Mantri Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojana, women from the general category receive Rs 1,000 per month, while those belonging to the Scheduled Castes get Rs 1,500.Mann said the Punjab government’s commitment to women’s welfare would remain unwavering and the financial aid scheme for women would not be discontinued as long as the AAP remained in power in Punjab.He also said a sum of Rs 52.20 crore has been transferred to the accounts of 1.37 lakh ‘Satkar Sakhis’, while recognising their contribution in taking this scheme to women across Punjab.The chief minister said ‘Satkar Sakhis’ would receive Rs 300 for every registration, enabling them to earn more than Rs 200 crore through the initiative.”‘Satkar Sakhis’ have played a crucial role in taking this scheme to women across Punjab. Their dedicated efforts have enabled more than 75 lakh women to get registered under the Mukh Mantri Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojna,” he said.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesAddressing a gathering virtually, Mann said his government launched the scheme in recognition of the dignity and respect of women.This financial assistance may not make women rich, but it will certainly provide them dignity and self-respect. Women deserve the highest respect because they are the source of life itself, and the blessings of mothers and sisters can help overcome every challenge in the world, he stated.Punjab AAP’s women wing president and MLA Amandeep Kaur also lauded the dedicated contribution of ‘Satkar Sakhis’ and the entire women wing in taking the Mukh Mantri Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojna to women across Punjab, saying they were not merely helping women fill forms but were becoming a source of support in transforming their lives.PTIGet the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos18 Rounds, Point-Blank: How Haryanvi Singer Ankit Balyan Was Gunned Down Outside Gym In UPIndia-China Talks Yield 8-Point Consensus; New Military Hotlines, Border Talks On The TableSkardu Base Was India’s Target During Operation Sindoor, Ex-CDS Reveals Why Strike Was Aborted’Gone In Seconds’: Kailash Mansarovar Pilgrims Missing, 77 Isha Foundation Members Among ThemSinger Mary Millben Hits Back Over ‘Anti-Modi’ Politics Over Mohan Bhagwat New York Event105 Indians Missing In Nepal Flash Floods; Tibet-Side Surge Leaves Eight Dead | Watch‘Big Reveal’ Or Big Scam? 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Horoscope Insights A Perth homeowner hired agents to sell his house; a company they owned bought it for $705,000, their interest was disclosed six weeks later, and the homeowner later obtained an $800,000 valuation Sriram Kartik Sriram Kartik sweeps 10 awards including the ‘Best Junior contestant’ across Carnatic vocal and mrudangam; prizes presented by eminent Vidwan Sikkil Gurucharan on 23 Aug 2026 in MumbaiA fifteen-year-old from Powai has won ten awards at the Music Competition 2026 conducted by Sri Shanmukhananda Bharatiya Sangeetha Vidyalaya and Natya Vidyalaya, competing in both Carnatic vocal and mrudangam.Sriram Kartik received awards at prize distribution ceremony held on Sunday (Aug 23, 2026) on the occasion of Shanmukhananda’s Carnataka Sangeetha Pon Mazhai Thiruvizha. Sriram Kartik, a Class X IGCSE student at Podar International School, received the awards at the prize distribution ceremony held on Sunday (Aug 23, 2026) on the occasion of Shanmukhananda’s Carnataka Sangeetha Pon Mazhai Thiruvizha, at the Sri Shanmukhananda Fine Arts and Sangeetha Sabha in Matunga. The prizes were presented by Shanmukha Sangeetha Shiromani Vidwan Shri Sikkil Gurucharan, the eminent Carnatic vocalist, who presided over the ceremony.Vidwan Sikkil C Gurucharan is a leading Indian Carnatic classical vocalist and youth ambassador for the art form. A singer born into a family of flautists, and grandson of Sikkil Kunjumani, the elder of the Sikkil Sisters, he trained under B Krishnamurthy and Vaigal S. Gnanaskandan, himself a disciple of Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer and gave his first concert at The Music Academy, Chennai at the age of twelve. Recipient of the Kalaimamani award from the Tamil Nadu government in 2020, Sikkil C Gurucharan has been featured by India Today as one of the 35 Game Changers Under 35 in India.Sriram Kartik won 9 individual prizes — five first prizes, three seconds and one third. He was also awarded a cash prize for being the Best Junior contestant winning the maximum number of prizes in the 10-to-15 years age category.The competition, the Vidyalaya’s 70th annual, was held on February 7 and 8 across Carnatic vocal, violin, veena, mrudangam, Hindustani vocal, sitar and tabla. It drew more than 300 participants from across India and overseas, contesting in three age groups: 10 to 15, 16 to 28, and 29 and above.Sriram’s two mrudangam prizes came in the only two categories open to his age group — a first for tani avartanam in roopakam and misra chapu talams, and a second for adi talam with five jathi mohras, awarded under the TS Nandakumar’s Percussive Arts Centre Endowment and the Guru TS Nandakumar Endowment respectively.His seven vocal prizes spanned first places in compositions of the Trinity, varnams, Purandaradasa kritis; the Silver Lamp Prize for keertanams and kritis; second places in Subramania Bharatiyar compositions and Tamizh compositions; and a third in GNB kritis.Every prize at Shanmukhananda is attached to an endowment instituted in the name of an artist, a patron or an institution. He won awards under the following endowments namely – GNB Endowment, the Kalki Memorial, the Dr S Pinakapani Endowment, the BVS Iyengar Memorial and the Lakshmi Gopalakrishna Memorial. The Best Junior award came under the Smt. Parvathy Subramaniam Endowment and S Ramakrishnan Memorial.Sriram began learning the mrudangam at the age of five, under Acharya Ratna Vidwan Mumbai Shri Shankaranarayanan at Powai Fine Arts. A decade on, he has kept at it through the school years in which most students of classical music quietly stop — the age at which coaching classes, board examinations and the ordinary pull of everything else tend to close the practice room door for good.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesSustaining it alongside school is the part a prize list does not show. Practice sessions run two and a half to three hours. Nine vocal categories at 5-6 compositions a piece meant something close to 45-50 pieces in which he participated of which he won prizes across seven categories, readied to a standard that would survive a judging panel, with two percussion categories besides.He now receives higher tutelage in mrudangam from Padma Vibhushan and Sangeet Natak Academi Awardee Vidwan Dr Umayalpuram K Sivaraman, and trains in Carnatic vocal music under Acharya Ratnakara Vidwan Sherthalai Dr KN Renganatha Sharma and Vidushi Dr Mohana Sharma. He holds a CCRT Scholarship for Mrudangam from the ministry of culture, and presented his mrudangam arangetram in June last year, the day after his fourteenth birthday.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorTOI News DeskThe TOI News Desk comprises a dedicated and tireless team of journalists who operate around the clock to deliver the most current and comprehensive news and updates to the readers of The Times of India worldwide. With an unwavering commitment to excellence in journalism, our team is at the forefront of gathering, verifying, and presenting breaking news, in-depth analysis, and insightful reports on a wide range of topics. The TOI News Desk is your trusted source for staying informed and connected to the ever-evolving global landscape, ensuring that our readers are equipped with the latest developments that matter most.”Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos18 Rounds, Point-Blank: How Haryanvi Singer Ankit Balyan Was Gunned Down Outside Gym In UPIndia-China Talks Yield 8-Point Consensus; New Military Hotlines, Border Talks On The TableSkardu Base Was India’s Target During Operation Sindoor, Ex-CDS Reveals Why Strike Was Aborted’Gone In Seconds’: Kailash Mansarovar Pilgrims Missing, 77 Isha Foundation Members Among ThemSinger Mary Millben Hits Back Over ‘Anti-Modi’ Politics Over Mohan Bhagwat New York Event105 Indians Missing In Nepal Flash Floods; Tibet-Side Surge Leaves Eight Dead | Watch‘Big Reveal’ Or Big Scam? August 25 Insta Account Make Hype Sparks ₹8.5 Crore Scam Row’Hijab On Heads, Not Minds’: Owaisi Calls Allahabad High Court Ruling ‘Attack On Islam’‘Do We Need A 4th-Party Audit?’: PM Modi Raps Secretaries, Flags Quality Issues In Public ProjectsAhmedabad-Mumbai Bullet Train Cost Revised To Rs 2 Lakh Crore, Nearly 2x Of Original Estimate123Photostories7 houseplants that may help keep mosquitoes away: From basil to mintCan infections such as mumps affect male fertility years later?Psychology says why the sibling you couldn’t stand as a child can become the person you trust most as an adultFrom working in Bhojpuri cinema, signing random films to pay his rent to earning Rs 1.5 lakh for one episode of Comedy Circus; When Krushna Abhishek opened up about his journeyLoro Piana to Zegna: Lesser-known luxury sneaker brands the old-money tribe knows by heart10 baby boy names with powerful meanings and fascinating ancient rootsIntuition or fear? 5 ways to tell what your gut is really telling youPrincess Diana’s ‘Last Ring’ from Dodi Al-Fayed: The mystery behind the ‘Dis-moi Oui’ ringRaksha Bandhan 2026: 10 beautiful mehendi designs to elevate your Rakhi lookTired of lemons going dry or mouldy? 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