The Warning Beyond NEET

The Jantar Mantar protests exposed the widening gap between education, employment and growth. The month-long protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar may have formally ended, but the political and economic questions it raised will linger. Triggered by the NEET paper leak, the movement became a major expression of youth discontent. What began as a demand for a fair examination system became a broader indictment of an economic model that promises opportunity but increasingly fails to deliver...

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The Jantar Mantar protests exposed the widening gap between education, employment and growth. The month-long protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar may have formally ended, but the political and economic questions it raised will linger. Triggered by the NEET paper leak, the movement became a major expression of youth discontent. What began as a demand for a fair examination system became a broader indictment of an economic model that promises opportunity but increasingly fails to deliver employment. The government initially treated the protests as a law-and-order issue. That changed when the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological fountainhead of the ruling establishment, publicly criticised police action and expressed solidarity with the students. The subsequent resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, withdrawal of criminal cases and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's endorsement of the integrity and aspirations of India's Gen Z transformed the political narrative. The issue had moved beyond examination reform to whether India's development model is serving its young citizens. The NEET paper leak was merely the spark. The fuel had accumulated through rising educated unemployment, declining confidence in public institutions and growing frustration among millions of young Indians. Education is increasingly seen as an uncertain investment rather than a guaranteed pathway to opportunity. Every examination scandal reinforces the perception that merit alone is insufficient, while recruitment delays deepen the belief that the system is failing those who have done everything expected of them. India has celebrated its demographic dividend for nearly two decades, projecting its young workforce as its greatest competitive advantage. But demographic dividends are never automatic. They generate prosperity only when education is matched by employment, productivity and rising incomes. Otherwise, they become demographic liabilities that breed frustration rather than growth. The evidence suggests India is approaching that inflection point. GDP has expanded impressively over the past two decades, yet employment has failed to keep pace. Employment elasticity has weakened sharply. During the 1980s, every percentage point of GDP growth generated roughly half a percentage point increase in employment. Today the ratio is estimated at about 0.16, among the lowest for major emerging economies. Growth continues; jobs do not. This disconnect reflects India's growth strategy. Public policy has increasingly favoured capital-intensive industries through subsidies, tax incentives and investment support. Such sectors contribute to output and productivity but generate relatively fewer jobs. Agriculture continues to suffer from incomplete reforms and low productivity. Manufacturing has not expanded fast enough to absorb new workers, while artificial intelligence and automation are reducing opportunities in occupations once regarded as gateways to middle-class prosperity. India thus faces a paradox: it is producing more graduates while creating fewer opportunities to absorb them. The comparison with Asia is instructive. Vietnam and Bangladesh have pursued manufacturing-led growth that has generated substantially higher employment relative to economic expansion. Vietnam's employment-to-population ratio is estimated at nearly three-fourths, compared with about one-half in India. Vietnam has also moved into the upper-middle-income category, while India remains a lower-middle-income economy. These comparisons do not diminish India's achievements. They highlight the urgency of correcting structural weaknesses before they become politically destabilising. History demonstrates the risks of prolonged youth unemployment. The Arab Spring showed how educated but unemployed youth can transform political landscapes. More recently, political instability in Bangladesh and Nepal has reflected frustration among younger populations facing shrinking opportunities. India's democratic institutions are stronger, and its circumstances are different. Yet no democracy can indefinitely ignore the aspirations of its largest demographic group. The significance of Jantar Mantar lies here. India's Gen Z is organised, digitally connected and politically conscious. Social media transformed local grievances into a national movement within days, while traditional political parties largely responded after the sentiment had acquired independent momentum. The RSS intervention further complicated the government's challenge. Once protesting students found resonance within the ideological ecosystem closest to the ruling establishment, the issue ceased to be a partisan confrontation. It became an internal warning that India's youth expect credible institutions, transparent examinations and, above all, meaningful employment. The Centre's examination reforms are necessary but insufficient. Restoring the credibility of competitive examinations addresses only one symptom. The larger challenge is to redesign India's growth strategy around employment. Labour-intensive manufacturing, support for small and medium enterprises, investment in skills, higher-education reform and greater attention to employment outcomes must become central to economic planning. The Jantar Mantar agitation should not be remembered simply as the NEET protests. It marked a moment when India's youngest generation questioned the assumptions underlying the country's development model. Governments can manage protests and reform examinations. But unless economic growth translates into broad-based employment, similar movements will return. India's demographic dividend remains its greatest opportunity. It could equally become its greatest challenge. The warning has been delivered. The question is whether policymakers are prepared to listen.

India’s Forensic Blind Spot: The Case for Forensic Odontology

It is not just about solving crimes; it is about restoring identity and dignity.

Imagine the heartache when someone you care about goes missing or is lost in a disaster. The uncertainty of their fate can be unbearable. In these moments, identifying a person is not just a scientific process; it's an act of dignity, compassion, and delivering justice. Interestingly, one of the most dependable tools for this task is found right inside our mouths: our teeth.

Forensic odontology, or forensic dentistry, involves using teeth and dental records to identify individuals and support criminal investigations. While we typically think of dentists as caregivers for our oral health, forensic odontologists work hand in hand with police, forensic experts, and disaster response teams to establish identities and aid the justice system.

Teeth, being the hardest parts of the human body, often withstand fires, explosions, natural disasters and advanced decomposition when other identifiers, like fingerprints or facial features, are destroyed. Just like fingerprints, each person's dental features, such as fillings, crowns, bridges, and even missing teeth, are unique. Sometimes, a simple smiling photograph or an old dental X-ray can be the key to solving the puzzle of someone's identity.

Forensic odontology plays a vital role in situations like air crashes, train accidents, building collapses, natural disasters, burnt or badly decomposed bodies, unidentified bodies and criminal cases. For children whose identities are unknown, developing teeth can help estimate their age. While adult teeth can assist in reconstructive identification of unidentified individuals and comparative identification when missing persons’ dental records are available. Scientific identification of bite marks can be crucial in criminal investigations. In cases of severely damaged bodies, DNA from teeth can survive and confirm a person’s identity.

Globally, forensic odontology is one of the three primary methods for identifying disaster victims, along with fingerprint analysis and DNA profiling. Countries like the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Germany, and the United States have robust forensic odontology services that are integral to their disaster response and law enforcement systems.

In India, this field still faces challenges. Although there are trained forensic odontologists, the speciality has not yet been fully woven into disaster management and medico-legal infrastructure. Dental record maintenance is inconsistent, and there are very limited opportunities for specialists in this domain. As disasters and complex investigations become more frequent, these gaps need urgent attention.

The significance of forensic odontology has been recognised by the courts as well. The Supreme Court of India acknowledged its importance in the Mukesh & Others v. State (NCT of Delhi) (2017) case, calling it an “important and indispensable science” for legal matters. Properly examined dental evidence was accepted as valuable expert testimony in the administration of justice.

Public awareness is important. Everyone can contribute by preserving dental records. Don’t throw away dental prescriptions or treatment summaries. Keep copies of dental X-rays, orthodontic records, and implant details, and store digital copies securely. Inform your family where these records are kept and update them after dental treatments. Something as ordinary as a dental record today could one day help identify you or a loved one with certainty.

Remember this simple truth: Your teeth are like a permanent identity card inside your mouth. Every filling, crown, and implant tells a unique story that no one else shares.

Forensic odontology isn’t just about solving crimes or identifying disaster victims. It restores identities, provides closure to grieving families, aids in legal and insurance matters, ensures dignified last rites, prevents mistaken identities, and strengthens the pursuit of justice. Official recognition of this speciality, standardised dental record maintenance, and its integration into disaster response systems are no longer optional but essential steps towards building a safer, more humane, and more resilient country.

(Dr. Kumar is a former IPS officer and forensic consultant to Assam government. Dr. Somya Soin is forensic odontology professional. Views personal.)

The Warning Beyond NEET

India’s Forensic Blind Spot: The Case for Forensic Odontology

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