A leaked NEET medical entrance exam paper in India triggered nationwide student protests, exposing a deeper structural employment crisis affecting young people. Graduate unemployment among 15-to-25-year-olds stands at nearly 40%, with graduates accounting for two-thirds of India’s unemployed in 2023. Between 2004 and 2023, the country produced roughly 5 million graduates annually but created only 2.8 million jobs. Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned amid the protests, and parliament passed a law imposing up to 10 years imprisonment for exam leaks. Over 20 students died by suicide following the exam leak, and economists warn that India’s celebrated demographic dividend risks becoming a demographic burden.
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