ThinkTankWeekly

The Cracks in the India Model

Foreign Affairs | 2026-02-17 | economy

Topics: Indo-Pacific

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English Summary

The article argues that the traditional 'India Model' of sustained growth and stability is facing significant structural stress. Evidence, such as the massive crowds competing for low-level government posts in Odisha, highlights deep systemic issues regarding job scarcity and the reliance on state employment for social prestige and financial security. This intense competition suggests that the economy is failing to generate sufficient high-quality jobs for its massive youth population. Policymakers must therefore anticipate potential social instability and shifts in labor dynamics that could challenge India's long-term development trajectory.

中文摘要

本文指出,傳統的「印度模式」在維持持續增長和穩定性方面正面臨嚴重的結構性壓力。例如,在奧里薩邦(Odisha)看到大量人群爭奪低級政府職位,這凸顯了關於工作短缺和社會依賴國家僱用來獲取社會聲望及經濟保障的深層系統性問題。這種激烈的競爭表明,經濟體未能為其龐大的年輕人口創造出足夠的高品質工作崗位。因此,政策制定者必須預期潛在的社會不穩定性,以及可能挑戰印度長期發展軌跡的勞動力結構變化。

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