India's predominantly youth population is seen as a demographic dividend when many countries have aging populations. But India's demographic dividend may not result in an economic dividend. India needs trained manpower to boost its manufacturing capabilities, but a large number of Indian youths may lack even basic employability That's what a recent survey shows.The 2017 Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) by NGO Pratham has come up with shocking revelations. About 25% of the youth in the age group of 14 to 18 cannot read basic text fluently in their own language. More than half struggle with division (3 digit by 1 digit) problems. Only 43% are able to do such problems correctly.Not just this. The survey says most of them cannot even tell the time correctly. "For the easy task (hour), 83% got it correct. But for the slightly harder task (hour and minutes) a little less than 60% got it right," it says.76% of surveyed youth could count money correctly. For those who had basic arithmetic skills, the figure was close to 90%.56% could add weights correctly in kilograms. For those who have basic math skills, the figure is 76%.The survey had four examples of basic calculation. Managing a budget: You have Rs. 50 and you are looking at a rate list for snacks. Which three items can you buy so that fifty rupees is completely spent? Taking purchase decisions: In the second task, youths need to buy a set of five books. Two different prices are being offered in two different shops. Which shop will you go to if you want to spend the least amount of money possible? And, how much will you spend?For both the tasks described above, less than two-thirds of youth aged 14-18 could correctly do the calculations.86% could identify the map of India while only 64% knew the name of the national capital. 79% could tell which state they lived in while only 42% could point out their state on the map."Unless we ensure that our young people reach adulthood with the knowledge, skills, andopportunities they need to help themselves, their families, and their communities move forward, India’s much awaited ‘demographic dividend’ will not materialize. Our interactions with youth in this age group suggest that as a country we urgently need to attend to their needs. ASER 2017 is an attempt to shine a spotlight on this situation and hopefully start a nation-wide discussion about the way forward," Pratham said.