Jewar's Youth in Limbo as Airport Nears Inauguration
In 2019, as land acquisition commenced for the ambitious Noida International Airport in Jewar, Saurav Kumar envisioned a future that would allow him to build a career right in his hometown. Instead of migrating to Delhi or another metropolitan city to join the relentless rat race, he saw the airport project as a beacon of local opportunity. At the time, Saurav was a BTech student who later pursued an MTech in automobile engineering, equipping himself with qualifications he believed would secure him a role in the upcoming aviation hub.
Broken Promises and Growing Disillusionment
Saurav's family was among those who surrendered their land for the airport project, receiving monetary compensation along with an assurance of employment for one family member. While the financial compensation was disbursed, the promised job never materialized. This pattern has left many youths from Jewar increasingly disillusioned as the airport has progressed from construction to its imminent inauguration.
"I deliberately avoided campus placements during my college years, banking on securing a position at the airport. I didn't want to start a job only to leave it later," Saurav recounts, expressing regret over a decision that has led to a seven-year wait with no definitive end in sight. After holding out until 2022, he reluctantly took up teaching roles to make ends meet while continuing to hope for an airport job.
The Choice Between Compensation and Employment
The plight echoes across six villages—Rohi, Parohi, Banwaribas, Kishorpur, Ranhera, and Dayanatpur—that were most affected by the land acquisition for the airport's first phase. Residents were presented with a critical choice: accept an additional one-time compensation of approximately Rs 5 lakh or opt for assured employment for one family member within the airport project. Approximately 335 youths selected the job option, anticipating direct employment with Yamuna International Airport Pvt Ltd (YIAPL), the concessionaire responsible for building the airport.
Hansraj Singh, a farmer from Dayanatpur, relinquished nearly 25 acres of land and received Rs 6 crore in compensation. He now resides in the relief and rehabilitation colony at Jewar Bangar, where displaced families were resettled. "My elder son left his position as a deputy general manager in Gurgaon in 2020, returning home with hopes of working at the airport," Singh explains, referencing the rehabilitation draft that promised priority in project jobs after necessary training.
Formal Assurances and Career Stagnation
Nitish Bhardwaj from Banwaribas emphasizes that the job guarantee was not merely verbal but provided in writing. "We prioritized long-term security over immediate extra cash," he states. A BTech graduate in civil engineering, Nitish remained in Jewar awaiting a call from the airport, a decision he believes has stagnated his career. He now works for a local company in Greater Noida, lamenting, "If I hadn't waited for the airport job, my career trajectory would have been entirely different."
Protests and Repeated Disappointments
Interview calls finally began in September 2025, initially sparking excitement among the youths. However, Chand Saifi, an unemployed youth from Dayanatpur, reveals that the positions offered were not under YIAPL but through third-party contractors, typically for roles like security guards and janitorial staff. This led to protests at the airport site, with officials repeatedly assuring that concerns would be addressed.
Subsequent calls on December 2 yielded similar outcomes, prompting further protests. Demonstrations continued on February 6, February 23, March 16, and March 23, with protestors dispersing only after fresh assurances. "In total, we have protested six times since September," Saurav notes. "Each time, we are told to wait a little longer."
Overlooked Skill Development and Escalating Actions
Those without college degrees are equally disheartened, as promises of skill development under corporate social responsibility initiatives have been overlooked. Priyanka, a job seeker from Kishorpur who was 20 during the land acquisition, points out that no training programs have been conducted in seven years. Now married and settled in Palwal, she travels over 100 kilometers to Jewar to demand her rights, frustrated by being told to accept whatever is offered due to a lack of skills.
With repeated assurances failing to translate into concrete action, the youths escalated their protest by organizing a sit-in at the airport gate on a recent Wednesday. Around 9 PM, officials from the district administration and Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) arrived and accepted their demands in writing.
Official Response and Lingering Skepticism
A YEIDA official stated, "All of the youth will be provided on-rolls jobs with YIAPL according to their skills. The joining letter will be from YIAPL, the job location will be Jewar, and the letter will have signatures from NIAL and YIAPL." Despite this, Saurav and others remain skeptical, planning to gather at the airport during its inauguration by the Prime Minister on Saturday morning. "We believe the local administration cannot resolve this issue, but the Chief Minister and Prime Minister Modi will understand our situation," Saurav asserts.
