The employment paradox: Skilling schemes need more realistic streamlining

Last year, a study by TeamLease showed that India produces a staggering 1.5 million engineers every year, but only 45 per cent meet industry standards

India suffers from a curious paradox of having a fairly high unemployment rate among people aged between 15 and 29 years but low employability. The second report on India’s Graduate Skill Index, brought out by Mercer-Mettl, shows employability has dropped — from 44.3 per cent in 2023 to 42.6 per cent in 2024. This is a chronic problem that the government has sought to address through the Skill India Mission and, more recently, an internship scheme that seeks to equip 10 million young people over five years by providing a stipend for a 12-month internship at one of India’s top