India, July 23 -- The lunchtime rush is over. A few customers are still lingering over chai. Others have drifted out into the afternoon heat.

Ayush Kumar finally has a few spare minutes. For the past year, he has worked as a waiter at this neighbourhood cafe in central Delhi. He is tall, lean and dressed in the cafe's red polo shirt and a black cap pulled low over his forehead. At 19, Ayush's face still carries traces of adolescence. He tends to be cordial with customers but never too friendly. He speaks gently, as though careful not to take up more aural space than necessary.

These days, as the country once again debates education, Ayush has his own reasons for thinking about it. Two years ago, he passed Class 12 with 79% in PCB, meani...