Educated Unemployment in Sikkim: An Outcome of Educational Development Marchang Reimeingam The paper attempts to show that educated unemployment problem is an outcome of educational development in Sikkim. Education is developing largely for entering into a formal job market. However, the existing educational system fails to produce all employable persons. As a result, the problem of educated unemployment became severe particularly for rural males in Sikkim. Educational system needs to be restructured towards job-oriented scheme. The growing population demands for an expansion of the base of educational institution. Employability is the major challenge to reduce the problem of unemployment. Keywords: Educated, Unemployment, Education, Development, Sikkim. Journal of North East India Studies Vol. 4(1), Jan.-Jul. 2014, pp. 55-66. ISSN 2278-1455 / ISSN 2277-6869 © 2014 Association for North East India Studies http://www.jneis.com Introduction Education is the means through which knowledge and skills can be developed. It also helps a person to get a job and perform the same with a fair degree of competence. It has been regarded as the determining factor for the level of economic prosperity and welfare of the people. As per Shingi and others (1988: 52) education is “treated as a business proposition with all those investing in it wishing returns on it”. Despite the many efforts, in a labour surplus economy like India, many people remain unemployed and continue to search or to be available for employment. Blaug et al. (1969: 38) pointed that “all the general factors that tend to inhibit market clearance for specialized skills in poor coun- tries help to contribute to the creation of educated unemployment.” While the increase in population and literate persons in general and educated people in particular amidst the limited job opportunities suitable with their acquired education itself originated the prob- lem of educated unemployment in the state of Sikkim. The state being a developing one with a modest economic growth, even in the era of globalisation, is unable to generate adequate employment opportunities particularly in the organised public sector amid ris- ing higher educational attainment. The expanding and growing number of educational institutions including higher educational institutions in the state is catering largely to improve the human capital and a mechanism to curb educated unemployment. This pa- per examines the trend of educational development in relation with the problems of Dr. Marchang Reimeingam is Assistant Professor at the Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore, India.