Despite Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claims of economic prosperity, the job market in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir is in dire straits, with an alarming 18.3% unemployment rate—double the average in India. According to Kashmir Media Service, young people in the occupied territory, including highly educated individuals like Maqsood Ahmad Ganai, a PhD holder in botany, are resorting to desperate measures to survive, such as selling juice on the streets. Ganai’s story highlights the IIOJK’s economic struggles. With nearly a decade of teaching experience, he is unable to secure even a temporary position, relying instead on a juice stall where he sells freshly made apple juice to tourists.

The economic crisis is further compounded by decades of unrest in the Muslim-majority territory, where resistance to Indian rule has persisted for over thirty years. Experts attribute the rising unemployment crisis to the Modi government’s “misplaced priorities,” which economist Nisar Ali says focus on infrastructure projects with limited job creation potential rather than vital local sectors like tourism and agriculture. Educated youth in IIOJK are increasingly left without employment that matches their qualifications. As a result, many are forced to remain jobless or seek work outside the territory, reflecting a systemic failure to support the region’s economic needs.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan