Many people think that jobs using your brain (like office work) are better than jobs using your hands (like fixing machines, building things, or cooking). But that idea isn’t really fair — and it’s causing problems in India.

A report by Azim Premji University says that one big reason young people struggle to find jobs is how society thinks about work. Some jobs are seen as “respectable,” while others are not. These ideas come from old beliefs about caste, class, and even the time when India was ruled by others.

Here’s the problem: a lot of young people study hard and get degrees, but there aren’t enough office jobs for everyone. In 2023, only a small number of young graduates had stable, full-time jobs. Many had no jobs at all, or had to take small or temporary work just to get started.

At the same time, India has a huge number of young people ready to work — even more than the entire population of the United States! And in the future, even more people will have college degrees. So we can’t keep thinking the same old way.

The truth is, jobs that use your hands are just as important as jobs that use your mind. Think about electricians, carpenters, mechanics, chefs — they all have special skills that take training and practice. Without them, everyday life would stop.

So what needs to change?
People need to respect all kinds of work. Learning skills — like repairing, building, or designing — should feel just as exciting and important as getting a college degree. And these jobs should be better organized and paid properly, so more young people want to do them.

In short: no job is “low” if it is honest and useful. When we respect all kinds of work, more people can find good jobs — and the whole country benefits.

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