New Delhi: The lack of professional career guidance is now a crisis in India rather than just a concern. A shocking United Nations (UN) study has determined that one in 10 students has access to some type of expert career counselling. For the other 9 out of 10 students, life-changing decisions are made based on advice or wisdom from cousins, uncles, family friends, or current trends, even if they don’t match the student’s own abilities or needs. The outcome of this situation is misalignment in the career paths chosen by these students, lost potential, and general job dissatisfaction. This situation exists in private as well as government schools.

Students have to navigate the ambiguous space for pursuing post-secondary education and/or employment without any organised pathway for career guidance, which puts them in a vulnerable position where they may make poor choices that are likely to impact them for decades to come.

Highlights from the Survey: India’s Students Are Confused

• Only 10.4% of students reported having professional guidance.
• 41% of private school students and 35% of government school students said that they were unsure about their choice for a course of study.
• Only 22% of students had a fallback career plan, slightly more in the private versus the public school system (24% vs 20%).
• 10% of students knew the costs of courses after school.
• 38% were still uncertain about their education level aspirations.
• A total of 81% of students reported barriers to decision-making, ranging from pressure from family to apprehension about future educational or career prospects.

Experts say these numbers reveal a pattern: careers chosen by accident, not design.

Historical Context And Changing Trends

Sanjeev Rai, an educationist, explained the roots of the problem to ETV Bharat: “The issue of students choosing the wrong career stems from India’s historically agriculture-based economy, where traditional norms dominated career choices. However, things are gradually changing.”

Himanshu Gupta, secretary of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), stressing the importance of early career planning, said, “Career plays a vital role in shaping a child’s future, and the process must begin early.” Gupta said that to address the gap, CBSE is working on qualification standards and training.

Awadhesh Kumar Jha, Principal of Sarvodaya Co-Ed Vidyalaya and a National Teachers’ awardee, told ETV Bharat, “Career counselling is not a luxury, it is a necessity. When the youth of a nation walks unguided, their potential is wasted. Education should not end with degrees; it must lead to direction. A single informed choice can save years of regret.”

He concluded, “Skills and passion together create employability. Parents must see beyond ‘safe’ careers and trust new opportunities. Fields like AI, renewable energy, design, and climate technology rarely enter household conversations, yet they hold immense potential.”

AI Career Guidelines – Opportunities Or Risk?

Technology can help close the career counselling gap throughout India. AI-based career counselling platforms, mobile applications in native languages, and online mentorship networks can provide students, regardless of their location, with access to career counselling support.

However, experts urge caution regarding total reliance on technology.

Sakshar Duggal adds, “AI can democratize career awareness, but relying on it exclusively is risky. Algorithms may reduce life-defining choices to trends and data patterns, overlooking individuality.”

Amit Dubey, another cybersecurity professional, adds, “Students need to combine the insights from AI with self-reflection, mentorship and other curated information. Algorithms can suggest trends, but your future cannot be coded. Blind dependence on AI is akin to following a map without knowing the destination.”

Even with advancements in technology, practitioners insist that human support is still needed. The end goal is to achieve a quantified balanced outcome, which is the purpose of AI, widening potential options, with a human supervisor contextualizing those options for the individual student.

Massive Talent, Minimal Counselling

The Indian Educational System generates millions of graduates every year, and for the majority of students, career counselling is not available. The typical student asks a relative or neighbour for direction, whose career options may have some meaning, but are now irrelevant in their local context.

Despite India’s higher education enrolment surpassing 28%, clarity is in short supply:

• Only 10% of students know the course costs.
• Eight in ten struggle to make informed choices about institutions, courses, and career paths.

Consequently, workplaces are filled with employees who experience burnout, low productivity, and the persistent feeling of being “stuck.” Career counselling remains nearly absent in most government schools and is treated as a luxury even in private institutions.

Yasir Ali, director and career counsellor at YAC Edtech, explains, “Without structured guidance, students choose what is familiar, not what fits their aptitude or personality. When the job of guiding students falls on overburdened teachers, it becomes ritualistic rather than effective.”

The UN survey shows that only 10% of Indian students know what they want to do for life. Without guidance, millions of potential innovators, entrepreneurs and skilled professionals may go unrecognized.

Source: ETV Bharat