Overview
- Student-led protests that began over alleged exam leaks have in recent weeks widened to include disputes over electoral roll revisions with marches seen toward Parliament and the Supreme Court.
- Official labour data show unemployment for people aged 15–29 who were seeking work reached 16.2% in June 2026 with urban youth at 18.2% and young women at about 20.7%.
- Independent research cited in coverage finds nearly 40% unemployment among graduates up to age 25 and about 20% for ages 25–29, highlighting that many degree-holders cannot secure formal jobs.
- Analysts point to a long-running mismatch between education and available work, limited vocational alignment in schools (only about 8% offer NSQF-aligned courses) and job losses from mechanisation and AI as root drivers of the unrest.
- The protests are straining confidence in institutions and could push authorities to address both immediate fairness complaints and deeper needs for job creation, retraining and clearer recruitment processes.