The job crisis in India, currently setting a record high, is a story of aspirations met with a deadlock. The youth faces the challenge of competing with equally, if not more, trained applicants. They are debt-ridden by an education that qualifies them for work, while quantifying their time and effort. The story of India’s job crisis is thus of a million narratives: from no maternity policies at work to underpaid work, from overworked bodies to hopeless souls looking for work. Here’s a look at some of the stories that bring out the essence of the looming job crisis in the country.

Pankaj Kumbhakarn, a 27-year-old Master of Computer Science (MCS) graduate: "These days I am very depressed. Now my age of learning is also passing by. I need to get a job. Each and every day is difficult to pass."

Gayatri, a 24-year-old Master of Engineering (M.E) graduate: "I don’t want to sit at home. I want to find a job that suits my capabilities."

Mandar Gosavi, a 38-year-old Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com) graduate: "I was taking orders from clients, mainly automotive giants. The market has come down. Order volume was very high a few years back, but these days it has come down. I was fired from there. I apply for 10-15 jobs online daily. I have appeared for interviews for 7-8 jobs."

Tejaswini Shelake, a 23-year-old Bachelor of Engineering (B.E) graduate: "My father has 19 acres of land. But I don’t want to get into farming. I want to have a better life. My mother works at the farm along with my father back in the village."

Rahul Dandwate, a 26-year-old Bachelor of Engineering (B.E) graduate: "Companies come up with jobs but the salary is very low or they don’t want to pay every month. They try to take advantage of so many jobless youngsters by offering a low salary."

Ashwani Khabale, a 21-year-old Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech), "I invested 4 years of life in becoming an engineer but the last year has been just wasted in looking for jobs. There are so many engineers at every job interview."

Santosh Gaurav, a 27-year-old Bachelor of Technology (B. Tech): "I have over 70,000 Indian rupees of education loans from my engineering degree. Many people who did this degree are jobless. There are many graduates and few jobs."

Kajal Ithape, a 25-year-old Master of Commerce (M. Com): "I had to leave my job as I wanted to take leave for one year after I had a baby. I have been trying to look for an accountant job for the last 6 months but without any luck."

Vikas Kamble: "I was told that if I did this course then there would many opportunities in the industrial sector. If there is one opening then there are at least 50 trained fitters like me for applying for it."