Unemployment in India has long been a subject of heated debate, often reduced to numbers that fail to capture its real impact. According to the Economic Survey 2024–25, the unemployment rate in India declined to 3.2% in 2023–24 from 6% in 2017–18. However, the authenticity of these figures is frequently questioned, with many ground-level realities suggesting a much higher rate. For millions of young Indians, the problem is not merely the scarcity of jobs — it is the crippling delay in the recruitment machinery itself.
When Vacancies Remain Vacant
A glaring example lies in government recruitment processes. It is common for vacancies to remain unfilled for years, even when the requirement is urgent. Often, there is a significant lag between the announcement of vacancies and the opening of the online application window. This is followed by further delays in releasing admit cards, conducting examinations, and publishing results.
In some cases, “No Objection” examinations — required to clear vacancies — are indefinitely postponed, leaving aspirants in limbo.
The SSC Example: An Endless Wait
The Staff Selection Commission (SSC), responsible for recruiting thousands to government posts annually, has faced repeated criticism for prolonged timelines. The entire recruitment cycle, ideally meant to conclude within a year, can stretch into two or even three years. Backlogs are rarely cleared efficiently, and new recruitment notifications often arrive without completing pending processes. For aspirants who have already invested years of preparation, such delays are more than an administrative inconvenience — they are life-altering setbacks.
Aspirants in a Vicious Cycle
This creates a vicious cycle: aspirants are kept engaged in continuous preparation for examinations whose results are delayed or whose schedules remain uncertain. Many spend their prime years locked in this loop, unable to make alternative career plans. The mental and financial strain is severe, yet largely invisible to policymakers and the public.
Systemic Gaps and the Need for Reform
The absence of a reliable annual recruitment calendar compounds the uncertainty. Unlike advanced economies where civil services and public sector recruitments are scheduled with clockwork precision, India’s recruitment landscape remains ad hoc and opaque.
A Student/Aspirant Grievance Redressal Mechanism and a Citizen Charter for Competitive Examinations could address systemic inefficiencies. Regular clearance of backlogs, time-bound recruitment cycles, and greater transparency in examination processes would restore credibility to the system.
Bridging the Trust Deficit
Restoring faith in official unemployment data requires more than statistical finetuning; it demands administrative accountability. The government must address the mismatch between its employment figures and the lived experiences of the unemployed. Only by ensuring a timely, transparent, and efficient recruitment process — starting with bodies like SSC — can we hope to break the vicious cycle and give India’s youth the dignity of opportunity they deserve.
