By : Falak Gupta
College : University of Delhi(SBSC)
Youth is not immorality, more than anything, youth is the power to make choices. Youth to the society is what wheels are to a cart. This is what will take the nation with all its creed, culture, customs and traditions forward. This is what accelerates the momentum of the course of nation building. This is what breaks through the hurdles and challenges of this path. And this is what, my dear readers, promises a much gratifying, vitalizing and sustained future. The harbingers of antecedents. The stewards of posterity. Our Youth.
The fact goes without saying that the role of a state’s young folk is undoubtedly imperative and non-synchronization of the desires of the youth and the adjudication would surely prove disastrous for the aspirations of that state. The solemn words of the Education Commission of the United States of America, “…Youth voice is crucial to the overall effectiveness of service- learning programs. Youth voice has a tremendous impact on program participation and program outcomes, both short term and long term.” So here comes the Big Q: What does the young folk wish for?
Is it just their insensitivity towards the society and their sole engagement in the rat race to earn their luxuries and means to progress by stepping on the heads of their counterparts or a genuine wish list to make the nation a better place to strive for the coming generations?
The entire sequel of the stages in a person’s life is transitory. They gradually fold and unfold with each step forward. But unlike these stages advent of youth is marked by that exclusive second when the parents recede their hands as crutches, when schools break open the four-walled cage and push the ‘new-matured’ in a world completely alien and when the governance suddenly recognizes you as a responsible citizen- responsible enough to choose a representative or to drive an engine.
Stepping out of the school’s cage surely promises neoteric ventures but also brings out the callous reality of the shining drawbacks of the Indian Education System. A student who was taught by his esteemed institution that Grade A or a 9+ CGPA is a good catch to survive suddenly encounters that even a string 94%, 95%, or 98% wasn’t enough to procure a decent college. Most fall as helpless preys to this moronic and thick-headed sprint while only a few lucky ones manage to escape the mad race. Why is the ’12th pass’ called “passed” at, say, 76% when he cannot approach even the lowest of cut off’s? Then it would be my humble request to keep the passing barrier, more appropriately, at 85%!
Standing in the 68th year of Independence, our youth shackled in the pressure of parents, relatives and peers is still not free to pick its own passion. The notion that conventional careers offer better placements is extremely overbearing on the society resulting in disappointment among the young clan. The grief becomes severe when they are viewed as the bread-earners of the family effectively crushing their own ambitions.
Reservation of seats on the basis of caste in the government universities and PSU’s is further aggravating the institutional decay. The race of the survival of the fittest has narrowed to an excruciating limit. Helpless students aspiring for higher studies run for expensive private universities. Job-seekers approach westwards for a living. This is what has also led to the mushrooming of private colleges, MNC’s and corporate houses.
Lack of viable employment opportunities is another hurdle faced by the Indian Youth. The dependency ratio i.e. the number of children and elderly people per working-age person — declined 21% over the last three decades. At this rate, by 2030 India’s working age population is expected to expand as much as 131% of the 2010 workforce! Our country, unfortunately, isn’t even halfway to assimilate such a large denomination for their means of survival. The latest World Youth Report, released by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), based on the views, experiences and recommendations of the young gentry on the employment opportunities stated that the current education system is not preparing the young people appropriately to compete in job market. It’s sad, rather ill-fated that a nation aspiring to be a super power in the coming years, carrying an army of workforce is still unable to exploit the potential to the brim.
Next, the working population of the country, mostly youth, encounter the struggle of their day as they step out of their homes-the dreadful impediment i.e. transportation. Essential hours of the working class are consumed by traffic congestion. Education and recreation involving considerable geographical distances become rather burdensome. Boundless growth of automobiles, poor condition of the public transport system, parking predicament, safety issues and rising cost of travelling are list a few hardships which make the day of a young man a battle to win!
Effective transportation is the lifeline of an urban setup. It is the backbone of economy’s development. Poor transportation results in decreased efficiency of the city and its citizens. Comfortable and faster commuting is not just vital for the welfare of the society but also for the mental peace and satisfaction of the commuters which improvises the holistic life of the city.
The essential and hackneyed questions which every female being it a school going girl, college student or a working lady is answerable to are, “Going out? When will you be back?”, “How will you go?”, “Is it safe out there?” “Why don’t you take a friend along with you?” The matter of women security isn’t new to the society. However, the vulnerability of the better half of the society is as high as ever. Regular incidents of eve teasing, cases of acid attacks, domestic violence, sexual harassment at workplaces and the ever growing number of rapes in the country flushing the pages of the national dailies have the portrayed the government’s ignorance and complete disregard to requisites of half of the population.
Similarly, the contagion of corruption throughout the social order is swallowing it as a termite. Whether it is pushing files on the chains of red-tapism, accepting the atrocities of nepotism, or bleeding national treasure to the foreign banks, corruption has unknowingly spread its wings across the entire community – right from the law-maker to the bearer. Bribes seem to be a quick way out for getting the work done these days. It has now been readily accepted as a part and parcel of life to escape the long queues, harassment of the government employees and other disorders of the country’s administration. Stringent laws, legal system and governance approach towards such matters has done little good as to improvise the derogatory condition of the youth and their plight remains.
Rachel Jackson’s wise words continue to resonate with the youth of today.”Our youth are not failing the system; the system is failing our youth. Ironically, the very youth who are being treated the worst are the young people who are going to lead us out of this nightmare.”

Moving further of the issues of social order and the well being of the nation, the matter that has been highlighted to much concern recently is that of Freedom of Expression, a fundamental right bestowed by the Constitution of India but whose implementation comes with a question mark. The 2012 case of two girls arrest for Facebook post questioning political leader’s shutdown of Mumbai is still fresh in the minds of the young gentry. The case strongly underlined the unconstitutional subjugation of the fundamental right of an entity marking the major drawback of the Indian Judiciary System. Crushing the youth’s voice and repressing their thoughts block the ideal path of good governance and nation building.
Youth’s approach is differed. Their thought-process has changed. They are not the same. They have formed their ethics and their values contrast to the previous generations. They are secular. Religious superstitions and casteism do not hold material anymore. They feel free to voice their concerns over the issues that matters to them without the guidance of religion. Exposure to mass media and Internet has probably made the youth more eloquent, inquisitive and expressive and innovative enough to resurrect their own ideas.
“The more we increase the active participation and partnership with young people, the better we serve them. … And the more comprehensively we work with them as service partners, the more we increase our public value to the entire community.” Spanish aristocrat Carmen Martinez strongly reflected upon the indispensable role of the youth in the path of prosperity.
Today, they are strong enough to have a practical bent of cynicism, not credulous to be fooled, and inquisitive to question, probe and find solutions. The aspirations of the youth highlighted earlier in no ways reflects the youth’s insensitivity rather it yearns to make this earth a better place for the entire community and ensure the content of the people. Their wishes are pragmatic, convincing and rational as they include some of the common issues of concern and settling of which will surely lead to a halcyon world.
“This is a time for bold measures. This is the country, and you are the generation.” – Bono