New Delhi: A recent report by NITI Aayog states that around 8.9 crore youngsters in India in the age group of 15 to 29 are “not studying, working or receiving training”, reported the Economic Times.The report, titled ‘Reimagining Skilling for Viksit Bharat@2047’, is based on findings from the 78th round of National Sample Survey conducted in 2021. Categorising such youngsters who are in the age group of 15 to 29 into five segments namely – schooling; tertiary education; formal and informal work; not in education, employment and training (NEET) youth; and women, the Niti Aayog report goes on to state: “For the workforce and NEET youth, the need shifts towards mid-career re-skilling, self-employment pathways, and learning options aligned with local demand and emerging sectors.”Earlier this year, in March 2026, the ‘State of Working India 2026’ report by Azim Premji University had concluded that nearly 40% of youngsters in the age group of 15-25 were unemployed. The report had also noted that among graduates, only about 7% were able to find permanent salaried employment within a year.The NITI Aayog report comes in the wake of recently concluded youth protests by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) which led a massive agitation at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar against paper leaks in NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) exam resulting in resignation of then Union education minister, Dharmendra Pradhan. As The Wire contributor CP Rajendran wrote in his piece recently while commenting on the impact of CJP protests: “Like its predecessors, it [CJP movement] began with a specific, almost mundane grievance – the 2026 NEET paper leak – and mutated into a broad-spectrum indictment of systemic rot.”Prime minister Narendra Modi in his 13th independence day speech warned against ‘dimagi Naxals’ or ‘intellectual Naxals’. Modi made no reference to recent youth protests while announcing coaching classes for competitive exams and AI training for youngsters.