Single frustrated student girl trying to understand notes sitting in a bar
The Reality Behind India’s Degrees
📊 Only 42.6% of Indian graduates are employable, as per the Mercer | Mettl India Graduate Skill Index 2024.
⚙️ Over 50% of India’s 9 lakh engineering graduates face unemployment despite academic excellence.
📱 Viral LinkedIn stories reveal the widening gap between high academic scores and real-world job readiness.
It was a chilly January morning when Swati Mishra, a gold medalist from Delhi University, sat hunched over her laptop, refreshing her inbox for the 47th time that week. She had everything — impeccable grades, a shelf full of gleaming medals, over fifty certificates, and the coveted title of “University Topper.” Her family had already begun calling her Professor Mishra, speaking of her future with certainty. But a job offer? An internship? Even a single callback? Nothing.
Left with nothing but silence, Swati did what many frustrated Gen Z achievers do — she turned to LinkedIn.
“No job. No internship. Nothing,” she typed. “Companies don’t want toppers who just memorize notes.”
Her brutally honest words struck a nerve. The post went viral, resonating with thousands.
In a country that worships academic toppers like demigods, the contrast couldn’t have been more jarring — excellence without opportunity.
According to the Mercer | Mettl India Graduate Skill Index 2024, just 42.6% of Indian graduates are considered employable, down from 44.3% the year before. The report points to a familiar set of issues: outdated curricula, lack of hands-on skills, and poor communication abilities.
The picture is even grimmer when it comes to technical education. Every year, India churns out nearly 9 lakh engineering graduates, yet over half struggle to land jobs in their core or related industries — a persistent problem that’s been repeatedly highlighted by both AICTE and NASSCOM.
In India, academic toppers often struggle to find jobs despite their impressive grades. This disconnect arises because the education system prioritizes rote learning over real-world skills. While toppers excel in exams, many lack practical exposure, critical thinking, and communication abilities—skills that employers value the most. The curriculum in many universities remains outdated, failing to keep pace with industry needs. Moreover, companies today look for problem-solving capabilities, creativity, and adaptability—traits rarely nurtured through textbook learning alone. In technical fields like engineering, the gap is even wider. Reports from AICTE and NASSCOM reveal that more than half of engineering graduates are unemployable in core sectors. Even gold medals and certificates can’t compensate for the lack of hands-on experience or job-readiness. As a result, toppers are often left disillusioned, discovering that academic success doesn’t always translate to career success in a rapidly evolving job market that rewards skills over scores.
