Sirsa MP Selja calls for a comprehensive national action plan linking quality education, market-oriented skills, apprenticeships and dignified employment; also stresses respect for women’s personal choice and freedom
CHANDIGARH | PEN OF DEMOCRACY NEWS DESK
Sirsa Member of Parliament, former Union Minister, Congress national general secretary and CWC member Kumari Selja has expressed serious concern over the condition of education, skill development and employment opportunities for young people in the country, saying that in a youthful nation like India, the exclusion of crores of young people from education, employment and training is not merely an economic challenge but a matter of serious social and national concern.
She said the Central Government must bring forward a concrete and accountable policy framework to ensure that every young person has access to quality education, skills aligned with the requirements of the labour market and opportunities for dignified employment.
Referring to the ‘Reimagining Skilling for Viksit Bharat@2047’ report, released by NITI Aayog in August 2026, Kumari Selja said the report highlighted that nearly 8.7 crore young people in the country are classified as NEET, meaning they are not in education, employment or training.
She said the figure should serve as a serious warning for policymakers and governments. At an age when young people should ideally have access to books, professional skills, training opportunities and employment pathways, such a large section of the youth population remaining outside all three systems raises important questions about the existing link between education, skill development and jobs.
Kumari Selja said India’s demographic strength can become a major national advantage only when young people are provided with meaningful opportunities to learn, develop professional capabilities and participate in the economy. Otherwise, the growing gap between education and employment could turn the country’s demographic potential into a major social and economic challenge.
“The issue of unemployment cannot be viewed only through the number of available jobs,” she said. “It is equally important to examine whether young people completing their education possess the skills required by industries and whether those receiving skill training are actually being connected with employment opportunities.”
She stressed that the country needs a stronger and more coordinated system linking education, skill development, apprenticeships and employment. According to her, students should not be left to navigate the transition from classrooms to workplaces without adequate institutional support, career guidance or opportunities for practical training.
Kumari Selja said educational institutions must be strengthened so that young people from economically weaker and middle-class families are not deprived of opportunities due to financial limitations. Higher education, she said, should remain accessible and affordable, while technical and vocational education should be expanded according to the changing requirements of industry and emerging sectors.
She added that skill development programmes must focus not merely on providing certificates but on developing practical and market-relevant capabilities that improve the employability of young people. Training institutions, industries and employers should work in greater coordination so that skill programmes are designed around real employment opportunities.
The Congress leader said apprenticeships and workplace-based learning could also play an important role in helping young people move from education and training into regular employment. Better coordination between educational institutions, training agencies, industries and government departments, she said, is necessary to create a smoother and more effective pathway for the youth.
Kumari Selja further called for government departments to fill sanctioned vacant posts through a transparent and time-bound recruitment process. She said employment generation should not be limited to government recruitment alone and that new opportunities must also be created across different sectors of the economy.
She identified MSMEs, manufacturing, agriculture-based industries, the service sector and technology-driven fields as important areas where employment opportunities can be expanded. Policies supporting entrepreneurship, industrial growth, innovation and small businesses, she said, can contribute significantly to creating new avenues for young people.
According to Kumari Selja, the objective of building a developed India will become meaningful only when the country’s young population becomes an active and empowered participant in the development process. A large youth population, she said, represents one of India’s greatest strengths, but this strength requires sustained investment in education, skills and employment.
She urged the BJP-led Central Government not to treat concerns regarding youth unemployment and education as merely political criticism. Instead, she said, the government should present a clear national action plan outlining how young people will be connected with quality education, relevant skills, apprenticeships and dignified employment.
“Young people need more than speeches and publicity. They need security for their future, equal opportunities and dignified employment,” she said, adding that the Congress would continue to raise its voice strongly for the rights of young people to education and employment.
Kumari Selja said the challenge before the country is not only to create jobs but to ensure that opportunities reach young people across social and economic backgrounds. Education and employment, she said, must become instruments for providing equal opportunities and enabling every young person to participate in the country’s growth story.
She reiterated that strengthening public educational institutions, expanding technical and vocational education, improving the quality of skill programmes and ensuring transparent recruitment should form important components of a long-term employment strategy.
In a separate statement, Kumari Selja also spoke about women’s personal choice, freedom and dignity, saying that a woman alone has the right to decide what she wears, what she does and where she goes.
She said a woman’s clothing cannot be used as a measure of her culture, values or dignity. Targeting women on social media because of their personal choices, she said, reflects a patriarchal mindset that society must collectively work to change.
Kumari Selja noted that the Constitution provides every citizen the right to live with equality and dignity. She said disagreement with a woman’s views or decisions may be possible in a democratic society, but questioning her character or dignity because of her personal choices is neither appropriate nor acceptable.
Referring to the wider debate over women being targeted online, she said Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has also spoken against the practice of trolling women who exercise their personal freedom.
Kumari Selja said women do not need society to dictate how they should live their lives. Instead, the need is to build a safe and equal society where women can make their own decisions without fear, pressure or unnecessary restrictions.
She said the privacy, freedom and dignity of women must be respected everywhere—within families, at workplaces, in public life and across social media platforms.
“The respect shown towards a woman’s personal choice is, ultimately, respect for her dignity,” she said.
Kumari Selja maintained that India’s development must be based on equal opportunities, social dignity and meaningful participation for all sections of society. Ensuring a secure future for young people and protecting the freedom and dignity of women, she said, are both essential elements of an inclusive and progressive society.
POD/DESK
