Empowering Indian Youth: Challenges, Opportunities, and the Path to Development

ABSTRACT

The government and society are very optimistic about the capabilities of Indian youth because they have the best suitable potential that can facilitate the growth and progress of the country. However, both the government and the society should analyze whether the youth are properly developed and and whether they are receiving enough opportunities and facilities from both sides. It is not enough to say that the youth or the young generation is the future of the country; rather, this should become a reality, and it will only become so when the youth would be empowered and strengthened enough.

Surveys and demographic data indicate that over 50% of Indian youth are under 25, 30% are between the ages of 10 and 25, and an estimated 40% are between the ages of 16 and 30. Given this high proportion, youth participation in the country’s development cannot be ignored. And the government starts to place a great premium on the initial growth of the youth.

Key Words: Indian Youth , Progress , Generation , Opportunities , Surveys 

INTRODUCTION

Indian youth can be divided into two broad divisions or groups: One set of young people is educated and developed, while the other is illiterate and underdeveloped. Numerous social, political, and economic problems plague our nation as a whole as well as our society, and these problems have had a significant impact on the lives of Indian children. We cannot overlook the problems that young people face if we think that they are the ones who will ultimately determine the direction of the nation.

In fact, dismissing their concerns just serves to exacerbate existing problems rather than finding solutions. Furthermore, we cannot hold the developed youth entirely accountable for the development of the nation while ignoring the underdeveloped youth. Therefore, it is imperative to pay attention to both youthful segments and see the irony that Neither one of them—rather, both—is currently dealing with a number of issue that are impeding their own development.

The different issues that Indian youth are currently dealing with are as follows:

TECHNIQUES

The study’s foundation is based on secondary data sources. The information was gathered from a variety of sources, including academic publications, websites, research papers, magazines, daily newspapers, and other educational text books.

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

1.To comprehend the notion of youth;

2. To comprehend the issues facing young people;

3. To be familiar with the National Youth Policy

CONCEPT OF YOUTH

Youth is ideally conceptualized as a period when individuals transition from the dependence of childhood to the independence of adulthood. For this reason, compared to other set age groupings, youth is a more fluid category. However, since “youth” is typically defined as a person between the ages of leaving compulsory education and starting their first work, age is the most straightforward method to categorize this group, especially in terms of education and employment.

Youth refers to a person’s formative years. The term “youth” can also refer to a person’s prime in terms of health or the stage of life known as being a young adult. It can also refer to the transitional phase between childhood and adulthood (maturity). “The appearance, freshness, vigor, spirit, etc., characteristic of one, who is young” is another definition of youth.

The concept of youth varies, as it is not a stage that can be chronologically assigned to particular age ranges or associated with particular actions like engaging in sexual relations or unpaid labor. A person’s degree of dependency can be shaped by their experiences as a young person in a variety of ways depending on their cultural background. The degree to which a young person still depends emotionally and financially on their family is known as their level of dependency, whereas personal experience is defined by an individual’s cultural standards or traditions.

PROBLEMS OF EDUCATED INDIAN YOUTH

• Jobs: The absence of better jobs, particularly in the public sectors, is the main issue our youth is facing. An enormous number of young people graduate each year, but there are relatively few employment available. The majority of young people wish to work for the government since positions in the public sector offer higher benefits, status, and privileges. The jobs that are accessible in the public sector also require years of work experience, come with a lot of competition, and are highly high profile positions. Only a post graduate student or a Ph.D. scholar or an experienced person can aspire to grab those jobs, and thus graduates have to look into the private sector which is even though full of jobs but also invite with many other issues.

• Corruption: corruption has sucked up all of humanity’s moral principles and has had a particularly negative impact on young people by sabotaging their chances for advancement. One can purchase opportunities, resources, employment, power, advancement, and even education by bribing certain dishonest administrators, bureaucrats, or police officers.

• Studies-related issues: Many young people in India would prefer to become independent after graduating from college rather than continue their studies because higher education is still highly difficult to access, complicated, and time-consuming. Few young people desire to pursue higher education and research, especially those who are extremely patient and aim to land the most prominent professions after graduating.

• Growing Competition: In the public sector, the level of competition is rising daily, with a greater emphasis on elimination through competitive exams rather than selection. Many young people are removed from competitive tests, such as NET/JRF, UPSC, SSC, or IT exams, and only a small percentage of them are accepted. This causes a great deal of frustration, despair, and sadness among the youth. In addition, reservations problems arise in addition to the previously mentioned problems since applicants under the general category experience greater insecurity than those under the reserved category.

• Mental Pressure: The stress of landing a decent job, committing to a long-term profession, and not having enough possibilities elsewhere causes young people to feel uneasy and confused about their own development and achievement.

• Absence of Opportunities: In the Indian context, extracurricular activities have less emphasis and weight than education. It’s commonly believed that school is the sole path to a fulfilling profession, but today’s children are multifaceted and have a variety of goals.

• While education is an essential component that cannot be disregarded, selecting a job path based on a person’s intense passion for something like athletics, dance, writing, singing, painting, etc. is also acceptable. And that’s where the youth lack opportunities lie. Our government offers a plethora of educational options, but those streams still require a great deal of growth before individuals, parents, and families can see any kind of permanence in them.

PROBLEMS OF ILLITERATE INDIAN YOUTH

• Juvenile Crimes: Young people are reported to be involved in crimes due to illiteracy, particularly little children under the age of fifteen who steal, bluff, pillage, and occasionally even commit murder.

• Drug Addiction: Illiterate and underdeveloped youth are most likely to experience drug and/or substance abuse and addiction; they begin smoking and consuming alcohol at a very young age. The parents do not feel guilty or reprimand their children for hanging out with bad company or engaging in unethical activities since they are illiterate themselves and have no one to stop them or provide guidance.

• Beggary: Due to their lack of education, lack of employment opportunities, and lack of self-respect, the majority of illiterate individuals resort to the straightforward means of begging in order to break the cycle of poverty. India has seen a rise in beggarly in recent years.

• Poverty: For young people who are illiterate, poverty is a vicious cycle that starts with a lack of education, ends with unemployment, involves immoral behavior, and then returns.

• Trodden Lives: The lives of underdeveloped and illiterate kids are utterly chaotic; there is no advancement or improvement, and as a result, everything in their lives appears to be a burden. Given the extreme poverty and lack of a defined lifestyle, how is it possible to expect this segment of the youth to contribute to the nation’s development?

PROBLEMS FACED BY INDIA’S YOUTH AFTER THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected human society globally in many ways, including financial, physical, emotional, and psychological ones. It has not only been limited to health problems brought on by the coronavirus. The suffering brought on by the pandemic has never ended. India is hardly an exception either. People are becoming more cautious as the new Covid-19 variation XBB.1.5 has begun to spread, but they are also becoming anxious about the possibility of another lockdown and its potential repercussions.

The pandemic has affected everyone in the world, from newborns to 95-year-olds, in some way, but it has particularly affected India’s youth. The CSR Journal examines the issues that India’s youth encountered during COVID-19 and in 2023 on National Youth Day.

• Reduced salary and job loss: The nationwide lockdown significantly impacted the labor market, resulting in job losses, salary cuts, halted wage increases, and the closure of many small and medium-sized businesses. “There is uncertainty in the post-pandemic era when it comes to jobs and business. India is the birthplace of millennials, but a significant portion of the younger generation is now risk hesitant due to the pandemic, according to freelance writer Sreeparna Zamindar, who is based in Chennai.

• Reduced disposable income: “Young people now have less discretionary income as a result of high inflation. If you look over the past few years, you’ll notice that prices have increased significantly for everything from food to gasoline, from restaurant menus to beauty salon bills, to fresh produce and groceries. Because our wage hasn’t increased as much, goods and services have grown so expensive that we now don’t have much money left over after paying our taxes and other monthly bills,” said Avirupa Jha, a banker in Mumbai.

• Adjustment concerns following WFH: During the 2020 lockdown, work from home (WFH) became the new normal, and some organizations continue to this day to have staff working from home either permanently or in a hybrid manner. Those who have become accustomed to working from home, taking public transportation to and from work every day, and spending a set amount of time sitting at an office, on the other hand, are finding it difficult to change.

• Increasing crime rates: Many people in our community today work in professions that they did not practice before to the lockdown. Many of us have seen examples of former engineers becoming interior designers, teachers becoming stay-at-home bakers, journalists becoming online clothing sellers, graphic designers becoming grocery delivery drivers, and many impoverished female students from urban slums quitting school to work as domestic helpers and other part-time jobs. Not everyone who lost their job, though, was able to find another one. Soon after the initial wave of Covid-19, unemployment from lockdown and lack of access to other sources of revenue caused crime rates around the nation to skyrocket. “When it comes to young people, we’ve witnessed an increase in criminality as well as mental health problems brought on by social insecurity and unemployment. Many people have had symptoms including memory loss, recurrent hair loss, and other issues related to post-COVID sequelae, sometimes referred to as protracted COVID,” noted scientist Dr. Pritha Ghosh, who is based in Bengaluru.

• Increased screen time and exposure to violent content: individuals’s screen time skyrocketed during the lockdown as a result of working from home, digital education, and watching TV and OTT. This unexpectedly increased risk of eye disorders struck individuals of all ages in India. The gender gap is a hindrance to digital learning. The transition to digital or online learning for kids and teens came with a lot of drawbacks. During or after the pandemic’s early stages, many low-income students—particularly female students—were forced to drop out of school because they lacked access to the digital tools needed for online learning.

• Weight gain, Addiction, Mental Health, Hormonal concerns: Karishma Shah, a Mumbai-based Integrative Nutritionist and Health Coach, discusses the concerns that young people are facing with addiction, mental health, and hormones both during and after the pandemic. “There has undoubtedly been an increase in mental health issues among the youths since we struck because their mobility was restricted and they were unable to go out and meet their friends and family,” Karishma stated. Numerous problems with both physical and mental health resulted from this isolation.”

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NATIONAL YOUTH POLICY

India’s future development path is contingent upon its ability to foster and allocate resources towards its youth, while other nations struggle with ageing populations. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of the Government of India created the NYP 2021 in response to this, outlining a 10-year plan for youth development by 2030.

The National Youth Policy’s progression throughout history:

1. NYP 1988: Though it lacked specifics, the first NYP was drafted in 1988 with the intention of tackling challenges related to youth development.

2. NYP 2003: In 2003, the NYP was revised with a focus on gender equity, morality-oriented ideals, and patriotism. But it was devoid of detailed action plans.

3. NYP 2014: A more targeted revision to the strategy was made in 2014, identifying the youth age group as those between the ages of 15 and 29. It was criticized for lacking comprehensive strategies, while having well defined objectives and priority action areas.

4. NYP 2021: Drafted in 2021, this version adopts a comprehensive strategy that is in line with the UNSDGs. Although it covers a wide range of topics, implementation issues were found.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE NYP

• Youth Empowerment: The NYP wants to give young people the tools they need to actively contribute to determining the course of the country, acknowledging them as a crucial demographic. The policy leverages the potential of youth as a dynamic and lively force by emphasizing their development.

• Prospects for Future Development: Every iteration of the NYP improves on the one before it, adjusting to the demands of the times. The policy’s forward-thinking strategy aids in preparing India’s youth for the future and gives them the opportunity to support the growth and development of their country.

• Alignment with Global Goals: The NYP 2021 reflects India’s commitment to international development goals by being in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations.

• Holistic Development: The NYP 2021 covers a range of topics related to youth development, including social welfare, education, health, and skill development. This all-encompassing strategy guarantees that the young people have chances and support that are well-rounded.

• Promoting Inclusivity: The policy acknowledges the varied backgrounds and difficulties that young people, particularly those from socially and economically disadvantaged origins, encounter. The NYP aims to give all young people equal chances by emphasizing inclusivity.

• Policy Evolution: The NYP changes with each iteration to address new problems and take into account suggestions from earlier versions. The government’s youth-related activities are kept current and productive by this ongoing improvement.

• Social cohesiveness: The NYP encourages social cohesiveness among young people by fostering ideals of integrity, solidarity, and respect for many faiths and cultures. This contributes to a harmonious and cohesive society

CONCLUSION

The elements listed above unquestionably demonstrate that education is the key to understanding this entire phenomenon. And in order for India to realize its goal of being a developed nation, each and every young person needs to pursue an education. In fact, the government needs to make this its top priority and make a commitment to eliminating illiteracy from the country.

In addition, the government should give the concerns of the underdeveloped youth substantial attention and priority since they are the ones who most need it. In actuality, the educated youth can assist the government in this enormous undertaking; also, by volunteering for various programs and tactics, they can contribute to the uplift of the underdeveloped youth. The country’s development process can only occur in an equilibrium condition, and this equilibrium can only be reached when youth issues are better and appropriately addressed.

 REFERENCES 

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