What happened: an opinion on youth jobs, growth, and opportunity gaps

An opinion panel in The Hindu argues that India should pursue growth that creates opportunities for young people and ensures that economic expansion translates into employment pathways youth can access. The opinion presents youth demand for government jobs as an outcome of opportunity gaps in accessible employment outside the public sector.

Background and earlier position: why government jobs attract youth

Government jobs are often viewed by youth as more accessible and predictable than many informal or uncertain private-sector outcomes. This perception is typically associated with clearer eligibility rules, more structured selection processes, more predictable early-career pay, and comparatively stable early entry after recruitment.

Employment policy discussions in India also treat job accessibility for new entrants as a core measure of economic success. Growth indicators alone are not treated as sufficient if they do not generate enough accessible hiring routes and jobs for youth moving from education to work.

What changed now: reframing youth job-seeking as a policy signal