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| India elections: what young people want from a new government | India elections: what young people want from a new government |
| (7 months later) | |
| The other day I was in the office library looking for some documents when I chanced upon some 2013 editions of the Hindustan Times – the February 7 edition carried a huge ad for the first Starbucks outlet in Delhi and the lead story was a speech delivered by Narendra Modi (who was yet to be named the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate) in Delhi, his first public appearance in the city after winning a straight third term as Gujarat chief minister in 2012. So where did Modi go on February 6? Not to Jantar Mantar, the designated spot for all shades of protests, or the Ramlila Grounds which is earmarked for political rallies. Rather, he opted to interact with a very special constituency: the youth of the country. Mr Modi was at one of India’s top educational institutions – the Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) – to deliver a keynote address. | The other day I was in the office library looking for some documents when I chanced upon some 2013 editions of the Hindustan Times – the February 7 edition carried a huge ad for the first Starbucks outlet in Delhi and the lead story was a speech delivered by Narendra Modi (who was yet to be named the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate) in Delhi, his first public appearance in the city after winning a straight third term as Gujarat chief minister in 2012. So where did Modi go on February 6? Not to Jantar Mantar, the designated spot for all shades of protests, or the Ramlila Grounds which is earmarked for political rallies. Rather, he opted to interact with a very special constituency: the youth of the country. Mr Modi was at one of India’s top educational institutions – the Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) – to deliver a keynote address. |
| Even as anti-Modi protests raged outside SRCC that day, the BJP leader addressed around 1800 students on development, aspirations and the power of youth. “The nation has been destroyed by vote bank politics. It needs development politics,” he thundered. “The youth of the nation has its finger on the mouse of computers and is changing the world. India's journey has gone from snake charmers to mouse charmers!” The SRCC students were clearly impressed by this slam-bang speech. “If you look at the Gujarat growth story, it's growing at a tremendous rate. Infrastructure growth has been impressive ... he's an excellent economist, a great administrator, a man who stands by his decisions. He's not scared of the consequences," Palash, one of the students, told NDTV, after the address. | Even as anti-Modi protests raged outside SRCC that day, the BJP leader addressed around 1800 students on development, aspirations and the power of youth. “The nation has been destroyed by vote bank politics. It needs development politics,” he thundered. “The youth of the nation has its finger on the mouse of computers and is changing the world. India's journey has gone from snake charmers to mouse charmers!” The SRCC students were clearly impressed by this slam-bang speech. “If you look at the Gujarat growth story, it's growing at a tremendous rate. Infrastructure growth has been impressive ... he's an excellent economist, a great administrator, a man who stands by his decisions. He's not scared of the consequences," Palash, one of the students, told NDTV, after the address. |
| Here’s why Mr Modi chose to connect with this segment almost a year before the general elections: a third of the India’s population is under 15, more than half under 24; every third person in an Indian city today is between 15 and 32; the median age in India is 27; around 150 million people were eligible to vote for the first time in the 2014 polls. | Here’s why Mr Modi chose to connect with this segment almost a year before the general elections: a third of the India’s population is under 15, more than half under 24; every third person in an Indian city today is between 15 and 32; the median age in India is 27; around 150 million people were eligible to vote for the first time in the 2014 polls. |
| Jobs and economic development | Jobs and economic development |
| I met Pratyush Oberoi, a college student, in Delhi University (DU) a few days after Mr Modi’s speech at SRCC. Over a cup of piping hot sweet tea and bun-samosa, a DU special combination that students are very fond of, the 20-year-old gave me almost a lecture on why he liked Mr Modi’s speech. “I don’t know if he's capable of changing anything if he becomes PM. But you know what? He hit the nail on the head. We need jobs after we leave this sheltered life at the university,” he said. Oberoi then turned to the young boy in charge of the cafeteria. “What do you think, Sunil?” Sunil, a 24-year-old, who is a migrant from Bihar, historically one of India’s worst-performing states, agreed and added somewhat nostalgically: “If only I had a proper job back home, I would not have to come to Delhi to work for a pittance without any job security”. | I met Pratyush Oberoi, a college student, in Delhi University (DU) a few days after Mr Modi’s speech at SRCC. Over a cup of piping hot sweet tea and bun-samosa, a DU special combination that students are very fond of, the 20-year-old gave me almost a lecture on why he liked Mr Modi’s speech. “I don’t know if he's capable of changing anything if he becomes PM. But you know what? He hit the nail on the head. We need jobs after we leave this sheltered life at the university,” he said. Oberoi then turned to the young boy in charge of the cafeteria. “What do you think, Sunil?” Sunil, a 24-year-old, who is a migrant from Bihar, historically one of India’s worst-performing states, agreed and added somewhat nostalgically: “If only I had a proper job back home, I would not have to come to Delhi to work for a pittance without any job security”. |
| The reality is that people like Oberoi, who speak English and have a certain skill set to boot, have a fairly good chance of getting a job: top-notch companies visit campuses like SRCC every year to offer young graduates like Oberoi and Palash fat salaries and foreign postings. The problem is with those who don’t go to elite colleges or universities and are not proficient in English or have no particular skill set like Sunil. The reasons why Sunil is in this position is not difficult to understand: the State-funded school that he went to was a school only in name: it did not have the requisite number of teachers or the infrastructure. So after whiling away his time for some years, Sunil just quit and entered the informal jobs sector. | The reality is that people like Oberoi, who speak English and have a certain skill set to boot, have a fairly good chance of getting a job: top-notch companies visit campuses like SRCC every year to offer young graduates like Oberoi and Palash fat salaries and foreign postings. The problem is with those who don’t go to elite colleges or universities and are not proficient in English or have no particular skill set like Sunil. The reasons why Sunil is in this position is not difficult to understand: the State-funded school that he went to was a school only in name: it did not have the requisite number of teachers or the infrastructure. So after whiling away his time for some years, Sunil just quit and entered the informal jobs sector. |
| A report by Mumbai-based Dasra, India’s top corporate philanthropy organization, says that there is a mismatch between the skills required by youth and skills required by industry. The reasons for this, according to the report (Leveraging the Dividend), is the poor quality of mainstream education, limited access and capacity to enroll in available skill development courses and a poor enabling environment with deep systemic challenges. | A report by Mumbai-based Dasra, India’s top corporate philanthropy organization, says that there is a mismatch between the skills required by youth and skills required by industry. The reasons for this, according to the report (Leveraging the Dividend), is the poor quality of mainstream education, limited access and capacity to enroll in available skill development courses and a poor enabling environment with deep systemic challenges. |
| "Jobs, jobs, jobs" | "Jobs, jobs, jobs" |
| Arun Ram has cleared his school-leaving exams but cannot go to college because he has to support his family. His family doesn't own land and so | Arun Ram has cleared his school-leaving exams but cannot go to college because he has to support his family. His family doesn't own land and so |
| the only option is to look for a non-farming job. "But the problem is that I have no particular skill...I know a little bit of computer but that's not enough. I heard that the government has a skills training programme but I have no clue how to go about it". | the only option is to look for a non-farming job. "But the problem is that I have no particular skill...I know a little bit of computer but that's not enough. I heard that the government has a skills training programme but I have no clue how to go about it". |
| Sent via Guardian Witness | |
| By KumKum2013 | |
| 27 April 2014, 13:56 | 27 April 2014, 13:56 |
| This is exactly what 25-year-old Arun Ram, a tribal, told me when I met him at a hill station in Maharashtra last year. Ram, who has cleared high school, had been looking for a job for the last two years. He has a few computer skills, so managed to get some odd jobs in local government offices that have a lot of data keeping work. “After two years, they got a qualified data entry operator, and I lost my job,” he told me, sitting outside the lawn of the hotel where I was staying. “Even getting a waiter’s job is difficult.” Ram, who once hoped to be a doctor, told me despondently. “I heard that the government has a skills training programme but I have no clue how to go about it," he added. | This is exactly what 25-year-old Arun Ram, a tribal, told me when I met him at a hill station in Maharashtra last year. Ram, who has cleared high school, had been looking for a job for the last two years. He has a few computer skills, so managed to get some odd jobs in local government offices that have a lot of data keeping work. “After two years, they got a qualified data entry operator, and I lost my job,” he told me, sitting outside the lawn of the hotel where I was staying. “Even getting a waiter’s job is difficult.” Ram, who once hoped to be a doctor, told me despondently. “I heard that the government has a skills training programme but I have no clue how to go about it," he added. |
| "I need a permanent job' | "I need a permanent job' |
| Rita has done a nursing course but still does not have a permanent job. "The local public healthcare clinic has vacancies but there is no fun to hire nurses," she says. "I want the new government to ensure jobs for qualified people...our health care system needs professionals like me...but unfortunately no hiring is happening because of lack of funds". | Rita has done a nursing course but still does not have a permanent job. "The local public healthcare clinic has vacancies but there is no fun to hire nurses," she says. "I want the new government to ensure jobs for qualified people...our health care system needs professionals like me...but unfortunately no hiring is happening because of lack of funds". |
| Sent via Guardian Witness | |
| By KumKum2013 | |
| 27 April 2014, 13:49 | 27 April 2014, 13:49 |
| During the same trip to Melghat, I met Rita, who has completed a nursing course but is yet to land a permanent job even though there are vacancies in the local hospital. “I am told there is a severe funds crunch and so there will be no hiring,” she told me. The demand for jobs is not restricted to any particular state in India; the situation is even dire in developed states like Tamil Nadu. This has been captured very well Viju Cherian from Tamil Nadu. | During the same trip to Melghat, I met Rita, who has completed a nursing course but is yet to land a permanent job even though there are vacancies in the local hospital. “I am told there is a severe funds crunch and so there will be no hiring,” she told me. The demand for jobs is not restricted to any particular state in India; the situation is even dire in developed states like Tamil Nadu. This has been captured very well Viju Cherian from Tamil Nadu. |
| Yearning for development | Yearning for development |
| Name: Chandru | Name: Chandru |
| Profession: Taxi driver in Coimbatore for more than a decade. | Profession: Taxi driver in Coimbatore for more than a decade. |
| Grievance: The present state government has let down the people. Most of the industries have left Coimbatore and the owners of small units have shut shop and gone in search of work. The power crisis, with load shedding for up to 14 hours, has aggravated our miseries. | Grievance: The present state government has let down the people. Most of the industries have left Coimbatore and the owners of small units have shut shop and gone in search of work. The power crisis, with load shedding for up to 14 hours, has aggravated our miseries. |
| Expectations: I want a government that will bring development back to Coimbatore. Earlier with Rs150 (1.4 pounds) we could pass a day. Today it's difficult with even double that amount. And the opportunities are far from few. | Expectations: I want a government that will bring development back to Coimbatore. Earlier with Rs150 (1.4 pounds) we could pass a day. Today it's difficult with even double that amount. And the opportunities are far from few. |
| Likely to vote for: Narendra Modi (because he promises development). | Likely to vote for: Narendra Modi (because he promises development). |
| Sent via Guardian Witness | |
| By vijucherian | |
| 22 April 2014, 14:00 | 22 April 2014, 14:00 |
| India, Asia's third-largest economy, need 12 million new jobs every year to absorb a growing workforce and urban migrants and the task is not easy because of the economic downturn. In 2010, the Congress government started an ambitious National Skill Development Mission with a target of skilling 500 million people by 2022. But not much has progressed on this front. | India, Asia's third-largest economy, need 12 million new jobs every year to absorb a growing workforce and urban migrants and the task is not easy because of the economic downturn. In 2010, the Congress government started an ambitious National Skill Development Mission with a target of skilling 500 million people by 2022. But not much has progressed on this front. |
| Understanding that employment is an emotive issue, the BJP shrewdly targeted the Congress government, terming the last 10 years as one of “jobless growth”. In its manifesto, the party has promised to develop labour intensive manufacturing and interestingly, tourism, empower the youth for self employment and also target the skill shortage. The AAP, born out of an anti-corruption movement, has said that “creating decent jobs and gainful employment for our youth” are its goals. | Understanding that employment is an emotive issue, the BJP shrewdly targeted the Congress government, terming the last 10 years as one of “jobless growth”. In its manifesto, the party has promised to develop labour intensive manufacturing and interestingly, tourism, empower the youth for self employment and also target the skill shortage. The AAP, born out of an anti-corruption movement, has said that “creating decent jobs and gainful employment for our youth” are its goals. |
| I found Vinay Singh’s contribution interesting because he talks about why he's disillusioned with the Congress government: “In Manmohan Singh, the urban voter especially the youth, saw a ray of hope, given a few achievements that the government coalition had achieved but that hope was dashed down not only because of the numerous scams like 2G, Commonwealth Games and Coalgate but also because of the inefficiency to come out clean and accept his failures as the PM of the world's largest democracy”. | I found Vinay Singh’s contribution interesting because he talks about why he's disillusioned with the Congress government: “In Manmohan Singh, the urban voter especially the youth, saw a ray of hope, given a few achievements that the government coalition had achieved but that hope was dashed down not only because of the numerous scams like 2G, Commonwealth Games and Coalgate but also because of the inefficiency to come out clean and accept his failures as the PM of the world's largest democracy”. |
| Mr Modi, like any astute politician has capitalized on this despondency, attacking the Congress’ governance record at every opportunity. | Mr Modi, like any astute politician has capitalized on this despondency, attacking the Congress’ governance record at every opportunity. |
| Education | Education |
| While jobs and development seem to be the top-of-the-mind issues for the youth this election, there are several other equally important issues that they seem to be worried about: in his GuardianWitness contribution Dhruv Sood says that that none of the parties have addressed the problems that cripple higher education in India. I think he makes several pertinent points in his contribution including the need for better quality teachers for students. Srujan Babu wants more research labs in universities. This is a very valid demand considering that India lags behind the developed world when it comes to research output and innovation scale. The 2013 Science, Technology and Innovation Policy aims to strengthen the research and academic base of the country and create a synergy of academia with research; research with industry, industry with economy and economy with the well-being of the people. In the 2014 Indian Science Congress, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced that the government is keen to increase India’s annual expenditure on science and technology to at least 2% of our GDP. | While jobs and development seem to be the top-of-the-mind issues for the youth this election, there are several other equally important issues that they seem to be worried about: in his GuardianWitness contribution Dhruv Sood says that that none of the parties have addressed the problems that cripple higher education in India. I think he makes several pertinent points in his contribution including the need for better quality teachers for students. Srujan Babu wants more research labs in universities. This is a very valid demand considering that India lags behind the developed world when it comes to research output and innovation scale. The 2013 Science, Technology and Innovation Policy aims to strengthen the research and academic base of the country and create a synergy of academia with research; research with industry, industry with economy and economy with the well-being of the people. In the 2014 Indian Science Congress, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced that the government is keen to increase India’s annual expenditure on science and technology to at least 2% of our GDP. |
| Padmini Boro of Amguri village, Assam is worried about her children’s education and wants the new government to provide girls and boys proper education facilities and employment opportunities. Her concern is valid because the Northeast lacks infrastructure facilities including good centrally-funded universities and this pushes it youth to go to other parts of the country, thereby depriving the region of valuable human resource. | Padmini Boro of Amguri village, Assam is worried about her children’s education and wants the new government to provide girls and boys proper education facilities and employment opportunities. Her concern is valid because the Northeast lacks infrastructure facilities including good centrally-funded universities and this pushes it youth to go to other parts of the country, thereby depriving the region of valuable human resource. |
| Proper education facilities and career opportunities | Proper education facilities and career opportunities |
| Padmini Boro of Amguri village, Assam has three children and lost her husband when the eldest daughter was appearing her 10 standard final examinations. Her son is the first from the village to go for further study in engineering and now pursuing IIT. | Padmini Boro of Amguri village, Assam has three children and lost her husband when the eldest daughter was appearing her 10 standard final examinations. Her son is the first from the village to go for further study in engineering and now pursuing IIT. |
| Padmini said "The new government should provide all girls and boys proper education facilities and employment opportunities." There is no facility to study after 12th class and no financial assistant to pursue career oriented courses in the village or neighboring areas. Poor people cannot afford to dream big and pursue big career. | |
| Sent via Guardian Witness | |
| By World_Vision_India | |
| 7 April 2014, 11:03 | 7 April 2014, 11:03 |
| Corruption | Corruption |
| The youth are also concerned about corruption and uneven quality of governance. In a very interesting contribution, Umi Sinha writes about how additional safeguards sometimes can actually add to corruption. Tanjusutaria makes a valid point (that is related to Umi Sinha’s comment), she says that the new government must eliminate administrative redundancies and bolster economic growth. | The youth are also concerned about corruption and uneven quality of governance. In a very interesting contribution, Umi Sinha writes about how additional safeguards sometimes can actually add to corruption. Tanjusutaria makes a valid point (that is related to Umi Sinha’s comment), she says that the new government must eliminate administrative redundancies and bolster economic growth. |
| In the media discussions on the need for economic growth, an important aspect always seems to get lost: how persistent inequality is giving rise to criminal activities and violence, especially against women, in Indian cities which attract a large number of young uneducated, unskilled young migrants. This was clearly evident in the December 16 rape case. The accused had more or less similar backgrounds: they were young migrants, uneducated with no skills; they lived off doing small part time jobs with no chance of improving their economic or social standing in future and had weak ties with their respective families. | In the media discussions on the need for economic growth, an important aspect always seems to get lost: how persistent inequality is giving rise to criminal activities and violence, especially against women, in Indian cities which attract a large number of young uneducated, unskilled young migrants. This was clearly evident in the December 16 rape case. The accused had more or less similar backgrounds: they were young migrants, uneducated with no skills; they lived off doing small part time jobs with no chance of improving their economic or social standing in future and had weak ties with their respective families. |
| In many other parts of India, this lack of any future prospects (economic or social security) is also pushing thousands to the arms of insurgent groups which provide them with basic necessities and security from the armed forces that are often known to even target innocents to elicit information. | In many other parts of India, this lack of any future prospects (economic or social security) is also pushing thousands to the arms of insurgent groups which provide them with basic necessities and security from the armed forces that are often known to even target innocents to elicit information. |
| Governance | Governance |
| In the run-up to the election, it was clear what was on the wishlist of the young: jobs, education and clean governance. But as the campaigning progressed and reached its last phases (especially when numerically important states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar voted) the parties (no matter what Mr Modi said at SRCC) fell back on their age old tricks of targeting vote banks and giving up their development talk. | In the run-up to the election, it was clear what was on the wishlist of the young: jobs, education and clean governance. But as the campaigning progressed and reached its last phases (especially when numerically important states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar voted) the parties (no matter what Mr Modi said at SRCC) fell back on their age old tricks of targeting vote banks and giving up their development talk. |
| A government who truly upholds the Constitution.. | A government who truly upholds the Constitution.. |
| We expect for a government who truly knows, upholds and implements the moral, ethical and political values as laid out in the Constitution of our great country. In India, very few of the politicians are aware of the true spirit and essence of democracy, which is rightly enshrined in our Constitution. Everybody is busy in creating and cajoling its own vote banks, which is affecting the germination of the seeds of a true democracy and public welfare in the state. There should be a government, which looks at par of the vote bank politics and which understands and adheres to the ethos of democracy i.e. Government of the people, for the people and by the people. | |
| Sent via Guardian Witness | |
| By Jayendra87 | |
| 11 April 2014, 6:22 | 11 April 2014, 6:22 |
| This message from Jayendra87 laments about this old style politics and demands for a government that “truly knows, upholds and implements the moral, ethical and political values as laid out in the Constitution.” A powerful thought indeed! | This message from Jayendra87 laments about this old style politics and demands for a government that “truly knows, upholds and implements the moral, ethical and political values as laid out in the Constitution.” A powerful thought indeed! |
| Despite the challenges, the good news is that the youth still have hope in the democratic process. Across India, they came out in large numbers, used their Twitter and Facebook accounts to encourage others to come out and made “ink-selfies” almost a fashion statement. | Despite the challenges, the good news is that the youth still have hope in the democratic process. Across India, they came out in large numbers, used their Twitter and Facebook accounts to encourage others to come out and made “ink-selfies” almost a fashion statement. |
| Polling underway at Moradabad. First time voter. | Polling underway at Moradabad. First time voter. |
| It was a smooth polling experience even as more than 2 million people voted on the same day from 6 regions, within the district, with five popular candidates from national political parties fighting it out. The security was in place and so was the agenda of the parties which sought to lure voters into voting for them.The world's largest polling exercise is a vibrant example of the might and diversity that is embedded in our democracy. I urge one and all to vote. The power to change is in your finger. Use it. | It was a smooth polling experience even as more than 2 million people voted on the same day from 6 regions, within the district, with five popular candidates from national political parties fighting it out. The security was in place and so was the agenda of the parties which sought to lure voters into voting for them.The world's largest polling exercise is a vibrant example of the might and diversity that is embedded in our democracy. I urge one and all to vote. The power to change is in your finger. Use it. |
| Sent via Guardian Witness | |
| By raghav19agarwal | |
| 19 April 2014, 5:20 | 19 April 2014, 5:20 |
| In the last year or so, many have joined the newbie political group, AAP. On the day of election in Uttar Pradesh, where I live, I met P Mishra, a software engineer and Ishrat Rizvi, a teacher. Both unpaid workers of AAP, they were helping people find their names in the electoral rolls. I asked Mr Mishra about why he has joined AAP. “I work for five days so that I can pay tax to improve the condition of my country and on weekends, I work for AAP to change our political culture,” he said. Ms Rizvi, said that she works for free for AAP, because she believes in what the party stands for. “Only when the young come out and join the political fray, will we get our demands fulfilled, be it jobs or security,” she added, as the BJP activists, wearing their trademark orange shorts, looked at them benignly, and then hastened to add: “Mr Modi will solve these issues”. | In the last year or so, many have joined the newbie political group, AAP. On the day of election in Uttar Pradesh, where I live, I met P Mishra, a software engineer and Ishrat Rizvi, a teacher. Both unpaid workers of AAP, they were helping people find their names in the electoral rolls. I asked Mr Mishra about why he has joined AAP. “I work for five days so that I can pay tax to improve the condition of my country and on weekends, I work for AAP to change our political culture,” he said. Ms Rizvi, said that she works for free for AAP, because she believes in what the party stands for. “Only when the young come out and join the political fray, will we get our demands fulfilled, be it jobs or security,” she added, as the BJP activists, wearing their trademark orange shorts, looked at them benignly, and then hastened to add: “Mr Modi will solve these issues”. |
| While only on May 16 will we know whether Mr Modi will actually get a chance to implement his “Gujarat governance model” on the country, the truth is, and I am sure he – or Congress’ Rahul Gandhi – also know, tackling this employment challenge will be easier said than done. This is because employment is just the end part of that story: several other challenges are littered along the way (education, malnutrition, skill building), will also have to be tackled if India wants to reap its demographic dividend. | While only on May 16 will we know whether Mr Modi will actually get a chance to implement his “Gujarat governance model” on the country, the truth is, and I am sure he – or Congress’ Rahul Gandhi – also know, tackling this employment challenge will be easier said than done. This is because employment is just the end part of that story: several other challenges are littered along the way (education, malnutrition, skill building), will also have to be tackled if India wants to reap its demographic dividend. |
| You can see the rest of the contributions – or add your own – on the GuardianWitness site. | You can see the rest of the contributions – or add your own – on the GuardianWitness site. |