Niti Aayog Report Says 8.7 Crore Aged 15-29 Are 'NEET Youth': Not Studying, Working or In Training
New Delhi: A recent report by NITI Aayog states that around 8.7 crore youngsters in India in the age group of 15 to 29 years are “not studying, working or receiving training”, said a NITI Aayog report. The report, titled ‘Reimagining Skilling for Viksit Bharat@2047’, is based on findings from the 78th round of National Sample Survey conducted in 2021.
The NITI Aayog report categorises youngsters in the 15 to 29 age group into five segments – those in schooling, those in tertiary education, those engaged in formal and informal work and those not in education, employment and training (NEET) youth. It separately categorises women. The report says, “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.”
The Niti Aayog report explains its statistics at a glance. 65.4 crore are in the labour force, 79.6 crore are outside the labour force, and 11% in the latter category (8.7 crore) are 'Not in Education, Employment or Training', the NEET Youth.
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.
This story has been edited to correct a figure: there are 8.7 crore and not 8.9 crore NEET Youth as designated by Niti Aayog.
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