Jobless youth hold protest march in Indian capital

Indian students from various student organizations participate in a protest rally in New Delhi, India on Feb. 7, 2019. AP

NEW DELHI — Hundreds of jobless youth have marched through the streets of the Indian capital demanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government immediately tackle what they call the rising unemployment crisis.

The protesters on Thursday disputed the government’s claim that it had created millions of jobs since it came to power in 2014 with the economy growing around 7 percent annually.

Dismissing it as a jobless growth, the protesters say authorities should immediately fill 2.4 million vacancies in government jobs to mitigate the problem.

Media reports say the government was suppressing data showing the country’s unemployment rate has hit a 45-year high of 6.1 percent. The government says the data is premature and official figures will be announced in March. /ee