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NITI Aayog Reports 8.7 Crore Indian Youth Are NEET
A NITI Aayog report says about 8.7 crore young Indians are not in school, work, or training.
These young people are called NEET youth.
The estimate uses information from a survey conducted in 2021.
Many students, especially from low-income families, cannot afford extra training while paying for college.
Some graduates take any stable job to support their families, even if it pays little.
Others have difficulty finding work and become NEET.
The report says only 8.25% of college graduates work in jobs related to their qualifications.
It recommends cheaper training, financial help, practical learning, and ways to learn while earning.
An estimated 8.7 crore Indians aged 15 to 29 are not studying, working, or receiving training.
The estimate comes from the 78th round of the National Sample Survey conducted in 2021.
NITI Aayog says NEET youth and women need affordable or subsidised training and targeted financial support.
The report recommends learning options that can be combined with earning, including reskilling and self-employment pathways.
Only 8.25% of college graduates are employed in roles aligned with their qualifications.
- Who
- An estimated 8.7 crore Indian youth aged 15 to 29, along with women and other workforce groups, are discussed in the NITI Aayog report.
- What
- NITI Aayog reported that 8.7 crore young people are not in education, employment, or training and recommended more accessible, job-linked skilling.
- Where
- India.
- When
- The estimate is based on the 78th National Sample Survey round conducted in 2021; the report was published on August 22, 2026.
- Why
- The report attributes the difficulty to financial constraints, limited practical learning, and weak alignment between education and available jobs.
Key facts
- NEET youth estimate
- 8.7 crore Indians aged 15 to 29
- Survey basis
- 78th round of the National Sample Survey, conducted in 2021
- Graduate job alignment
- Only 8.25% of college graduates work in roles aligned with their qualifications
- Training since 2014-15
- More than 7.67 crore individuals have been trained
- Recommended support
- Affordable or subsidised training, financial assistance, and learning options that can be combined with earning
- Priority pathways
- Mid-career reskilling, self-employment, and training linked to local demand and emerging sectors
- School-based proposal
- Teach general employability and entrepreneurship skills from Classes 6 to 12, with vocational pathways from Class 9
Quotes
NITI Aayog report
Report by NITI Aayog on skilling and youth employment
“NEET youth and women require affordable or subsidised training options, alongside dedicated financial support where constraints are most binding. Across segments, the ability to combine learning with earning remains a central requirement.”
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“NEET youth are constrained by the absence of income and the sunk cost of prior education. Students often cannot layer paid skilling onto existing financial commitments.”
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Sources
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