Two years have passed since the rollout of India’s National Youth Policy 2021, which envisions a 10-year strategy for youth development by 2030. The significance of the document is paramount because upon its success hinges the resilience of the Indian economy and its global standing over the coming decades. Before it is too late, the government should monitor the trajectory of the implementation of the vision document. The Journey of India’s National Youth Policy, since it was first launched in 1988, has progressed from being abstract to concrete — factoring in the changing dynamics of the Indian demography. The NYP was updated in 2003 and 2014 between 1988 and 2021. The updates have truly been a manifestation of evolutionary policy, but not without lapses and shortcomings. While on one hand, the approach became more focused and comprehensive over the decades, implementation strategies, despite improvements, have remained dismal. Under the present circumstances, it becomes futile to glamorise the improvements if significant lapses prevail. An uncontested fact is that India’s demographic advantage in the form of its youth population is only temporary, and is on the cusp of advancing towards a decline. Before this precious opportunity recedes into the annals of history, it is pertinent to make optimum utilisation of the same. Presently, India’s youth population — categorised between 15-29 age group — stands at an unmatched 808 million, or 66 per cent of its overall population. The number is likely to decline to 365 million, and the proportion to 24 per cent, by 2030. In fact, the decline may already be in progress. Against this backdrop, the degree of success or failure of the NYP will play a pivotal role in establishing India’s global standing as an economic powerhouse in the future. Undoubtedly, the NYP 2021 is the most comprehensive policy document ever in this direction, which aims to “unlock the potential of the youth to advance India”. The NYP 2021 seeks to catalyse widespread action on youth development across five priority areas, including education; employment and entrepreneurship; youth leadership and development; health, fitness and sports; and social justice. Each priority area is underpinned by the principle of social inclusion — enabling equitable progress by including the most marginalised sections in the design, planning and implementation of all schemes and programmes. Despite articulating such delicate focus, the NYP has attracted criticism from several quarters for the ambiguities in its implementation provisions. The government would do well to evaluate and introduce pertinent modifications in the framework. Furthermore, the progress on the stated focus areas has been far from satisfactory. While education remains a laggard sector in a large part of the country, unemployment, too, has emerged as an Achilles heel of the Indian economy. As per a recent CMIE report, India’s unemployment rate increased in April 2023 to 8.11 per cent from 7.8 per cent in March 2023. The report also highlighted that India’s unemployment rate has been on an upward trend since the start of the year. In January, the unemployment rate stood at 7.14 per cent. The state of social inclusion of the marginalised sections of society also remains dismal. Apart from the Oxfam report on inequality in India, which stoked controversy in the beginning of this year, the Periodic Labour Force Survey for the years 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20 showed that the top 10 per cent Indians earn approximately equal to the bottom 64 per cent, accounting for one-third of the incomes earned. Politically and socially, a considerable wedge has been created among people on the lines of religion, region, caste and ethnicity — leading to a fragmented society that fosters socio-economic inequality and retards national growth. Regrettably, youth have been at the heart and centre of this negative trend. To sum up, not just the implementation provisions of the National Youth Policy appear weak, but also the overall clime is unconducive to its successful materialisation. Since effective implementation of the National Youth Policy is of vital importance, the government should make imperative course-corrections without delay.