India’s education system is “failing its youth” by not equipping them with the skills required for the modern workplace, NITI (National Institute for Transforming India) Aayog Chief Executive Officer BVR Subrahmanyam warned. 

Speaking at the Bengaluru Skill Summit, he said that while the country has a demographic advantage, the absence of practical and vocational training in mainstream education has left a majority of young people underprepared for the job market, PeopleMatters reports.

“Our curriculum lacks general employability skill training, and as a result, a majority of our population remains hugely unskilled — doing very low-paying jobs or staying unemployed,” Subrahmanyam said. 

He stressed that the need for skilling extends far beyond school and college. “We must also look at skilling people in their 20s, 30s, 40s and even 50s, who may need to upskill or reskill to remain employable,” he added.

The NITI Aayog chief emphasised that India must shift from treating skilling as an optional, stand-alone initiative to integrating it into formal education. He said that if immediate steps are not taken to reform the system, “India’s demographic dividend could become a demographic disaster.”

Subrahmanyam called for a comprehensive framework that links education with employment, ensures flexibility for lifelong learning, and allows workers to adapt to technological change. 

His remarks have reignited debate over the implementation of the National Education Policy 2020, which seeks to promote vocational training and skill development from an early stage.

He concluded by warning that without effective execution, “India risks producing degree-holders who are unemployable — and that is a recipe for social and economic instability.”