Unemployment rate highest in 40 years; lots of unrest, frustration among youth: Priyanka Gandhi
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra criticized the government over high unemployment rates, citing a Niti Aayog report that highlights millions of youth not in education or employment. She argued that failed policies have crippled small businesses and the agricultural sector.
Why it matters
It highlights the intense political debate surrounding India's job market and the effectiveness of current economic policies regarding youth employment.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra claimed on Monday (August 24, 2026) that the unemployment rate in the country is the highest in 40 years now and that recent student protests were the result of a combination of a "failed education system" and "no job creation" in the last 12 years.
The Congress general secretary also claimed that certain government policies are crippling the agricultural sector alongside small businesses, which are key job providers.
"The unemployment rates in the country are the highest in 40 years. It is already a public fact. It is very clear that there is a lot of unrest, disappointment and frustration amongst the youth. We have seen that in the student protests. It is a combination of a failed education system and no job creations in the last 12 years," Priyanka Gandhi told reporters in the Parliament House complex.
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