Nearly a quarter of India’s youth, aged 15 to 24, is neither employed, enrolled in education, or receiving any training. While the share of this cohort, NEET — short for not in education, employment and training — has fallen over the years, it has remained higher than the global average.

Over the years, the share moved down from 30.8 per cent in 2018 to 23.5 per cent in 2023, according to data from the International Labour Organisation (ILO). However, the agency estimates it to rise to 25.9 per cent in 2024.
 

“While there is a decline, the