India’s Lost Generation

Crime, Corruption, and the Collapse of Hope

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They arrive hungry for dignity and leave hungry for money. Between a certificate and a wage, between civic promise and civic betrayal, organised crime finds its recruitment ground.

In coaching centres and cyber-cafés, in migrant hostels and village streets, India’s youth are being courted, coerced, and corrupted. They are not faceless statistics; they are stories that end in stolen futures.

A Generation Betrayed

India has the world’s youngest population, yet for millions, this “dividend” feels like a curse. Youth unemployment still hovers at 10.2% (PLFS 2023-24), Behind that number are rickshaw-driving graduates, shelved diplomas, and silenced young women.

Crime syndicates thrive in this vacuum. NCRB data shows youth over-represented in cyber-fraud and organised crime arrests. These are not hardened criminals—they’re first-timers, victims of despair.

Disparity fuels the descent. A Rs.10-lakh MBA may fetch a Rs.12-lakh job, while the same degree from a government college yields Rs.20,000. Education-as-business has birthed a credential caste system. Families borrow, mortgage, and sacrifice for degrees that lead nowhere. The result: humiliation, resentment, and a dangerous hunger for shortcuts.

The Weight of Social Evils