This burning train is a symbol of the anger of India's out-of-work youth

PRAYAGRAJ, India – Thirty-one-year old Sumit Gautam has three bachelor's degrees and a law degree. "I just don't have a job," he says.

Many young Indians like Gautam study through their 20s with the hope of gaining an edge in the competitive job market.

That's been an efficient strategy – until the past few years. In India today, unemployment levels rise with education, according to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, a think-tank that does research and primary data collection. As of December 2021, one in five college graduates are unemployed.

This high unemployment rate among the college educated has caused what the calls "widespread youth disillusionment," claiming it's a threat to India's economic stability – and is part of a growing crisis in India's job market. Those who work in the so-called "informal sector" – jobs in construction or agricultural labor with no guarantee of work or a wage from day-to-day, have long had difficulty supporting themselves and their families. And now, even education is no longer a guarantee of a job. Many educated workers complain of a lack of job security, employment benefits and salaries that often fail to