A Microsoft employee, after 25 years of service, discovers that he has been laid off without warning. The job that he had been holding onto for the last 25 years is no longer there, speaking aloud that he is no longer needed in the company. His heartfelt post, which appeared on LinkedIn a few days ago, expressed gratitude to his colleagues, but deep down, everyone can understand his turmoil. For someone who has been working for 25 years in one company, it will not be easy to find a new job.

Well, this is not just one story. LinkedIn is full of such heart-rending stories of people who have been laid off or who had to leave their jobs due to internal dynamics. Then comes the ordeal of finding a job. You will see your timeline and job alerts showing hundreds of vacancies every day.

Considering you are jobless, you will likely apply to as many opportunities as possible, only to be disappointed later. You rarely hear from anyone. Statistically, perhaps one per cent of employers have a culture of responding to applications — something that keeps hope alive, only to find later on that it was a case of internal promotion, or it was never filled, or it went to someone less experienced than you.

Then there is another world of job consultants that gives a face to this complex problem —someone you can interact with to express your difficulties, expecting a solution at no cost. Yet, the story remains similar. Either the consultant is not able to find a match, or the organisations are looking for something different. Be that as it may, at times, it takes a month, or even more than a year, to land a job.

Then you come across a video. Someone reciting your story as if the person has gone through the same pain personally, trying to sell an AI tool that will help you in making your resume ATS (Application Tracking System) friendly. It essentially informs you that most organisations utilise artificial intelligence to review profiles. If your resume is not ATS-friendly, you will have little to no chance of being selected for the position. Others tell you how to optimise your LinkedIn profile so that recruiters notice you!

And then there are those who are selling a number of courses to ensure that you upgrade your skills. At a time when you are struggling to make ends meet, you find yourself in a trap.

In stark contrast, there was a scenario where thousands of applicants stood in queue, clinging onto their degrees and educational portfolios. Among those who stood in this queue were candidates who held LLBs, BTechs, MTechs, and even PhDs—but had applied for the post of a constable. This happened last week in Haryana's Bhondsi. Out of 783 constables who completed their training at the police academy, at least 200 were postgraduates: one PhD, two LLBs, eight MBAs, three MTechs, 34 BTechs, six MCAs, eight BCAs, and over 30 BEds.

And when people ask questions like why such qualified individuals are applying for the job of a constable, the answer is: Haryanvis have a passion to serve the nation!

"It is primarily because of the state youth's passion for uniformed service — be it army, paramilitary forces or police. We have also noticed that several well-qualified candidates, while preparing for higher posts, join the Haryana police as constables by clearing the test on a merit basis so as to secure a government job first and then crack the higher competitive tests in the police force itself or elsewhere of their choice," says B Satheesh Balan, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Indian Reserve Battalion, Bhondsi.

The story that has been pushed under the carpet is not about nationalism at all. It is not about government job security either. It shows nothing but economic distress — plain and unvarnished.

This is a generation doing all the right things — studying hard, acquiring degrees, following the rules—only to find that the jobs they were promised simply do not exist. A PhD applying for a constable post is not seeking glory. It is not a career choice. It is about a dearth of options! Had these posts been advertised by a private firm, the candidates would have been rejected simply because they are overqualified for the post.

This long queue is a tell-tale sign of nothing but a lack of opportunities, rising unemployment, or a classic case of unemployability. The recent data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) last month showed that India's overall unemployment rate stood at 5.6% in May 2025. Unemployment among urban youth aged 15–29 remains at 15.8%. In rural areas, the rate is 14%.

Of course, this does not capture the entire story, as there are graduates who work as delivery agents or gig workers to earn a living. It does not reveal the mismatch between skill and opportunity. And it certainly does not speak about the emotional toll of this mismatch, followed by the quiet heartbreak of shrinking dreams.

What we are seeing is not just unemployment. It is an erosion of trust in the idea that education leads to empowerment. India's skill development programmes have mushroomed across states. From Skill India to coding bootcamps, everyone is getting trained. And yet, there is no demand.
What is the point of producing thousands of techies when Indian tech firms are laying off staff and global giants like Microsoft, Google, and Infosys are trimming teams? In most cases, there is no wrongdoing, no performance issue — just "business restructuring" and "AI optimisation."

The migration to cities in search of jobs continues — but so does the heartbreak. Urban India is saturated, the gig economy is brutal, and even aspirational sectors like digital marketing or ed-tech are slowing down, thanks to artificial intelligence.

It is ironic to hear what a young IT diploma-holder who delivers groceries told me recently: "I am preparing for recruitment in the police service; I am sure I will be able to clear it this year. At least, I will get a pension after retirement. There is nothing great about engineering jobs. Even if I get one, I know I won't be able to survive even till 40." When a delivery agent with an engineering diploma considers constable work a promotion, it is a warning.

The long queues for government jobs are not just about numbers. Every applicant in those lines represents a system that failed them somewhere. Some were failed by colleges that gave them a degree but no skills; others by a labour market that saw their potential but could not afford to hire them. Some by automation. Others by indifference.

It is high time we stop celebrating India's so-called "demographic dividend" and start acknowledging its growing disillusionment — conspicuous in the shame of being overqualified and underutilised; in the deadly silence that falls over a dinner table when someone asks, "What do you do now?"; in the anxiety of ageing out of eligibility lists; in the guilt of having borrowed money for an MBA that has no use now!

We must acknowledge that every photograph showing a long queue for a Sarkari Naukri is not a portrait of patriotism — it is a photograph of grief and silent despair. It speaks not of national pride but of a youth cornered by the absence of dignified alternatives. If we truly wish to change this image, we must move beyond slogans and symbolism and build an ecosystem that is not focused on skilling alone but actually on giving them meaningful employment as well.

Our curriculum must evolve to reflect the industrial needs, offering opportunities that prioritise vocational training, apprenticeships, real-world exposure, and long-term sustainability. Job creation must expand beyond the tech corridors and urban centres to curtail relentless migration. The MSME sector and local manufacturing need a boost with targeted incentives, easier access to credit, and robust market linkages. It should no longer be optional. It is the only way forward.

The informal economy, being the largest employer, must be regulated to ensure social security with efficient grievance redressal systems. India cannot afford to lose its brightest minds to clerical posts. In fact, the government must revamp its strategy and push more investment into research labs. Like international universities, we need to increase opportunities in the form of fellowships and academic recruitments. Our scholars do not deserve to stand in queues; they deserve better-equipped research labs and dignity.

As a nation, we owe this generation more than just slogans and a distant dream of a Viksit Bharat. We owe them credibility — not a portrait of grief that dwells on a failed system and the silent burial of countless dreams.