Ritika Seth says India has a booming youth group and it is the most productive section of a society presenting great potential for growth and development. If a country invests in its young in terms of education, guaranteeing their rights, healthcare, ample growth opportunities, equality, etc., they can go on to become future leaders and innovators.
In a population the size of India, some basic challenges assume astronomical proportions owing to the sheer numbers. Providing education in itself may not be a big challenge but making sure there is availability and access to quality education for India’s young in a billion plus population is a serious challenge.
As per National Youth Policy 2003, ‘youth’ was defined as a person of age between 13-35 years. In the latest policy document – National Youth Policy 2014 – ‘youth’ is defined as a person of age between the age group of 15 and 29 years.
Home to the largest youth population in the world, India has more than 808 million people below the age of 35 years – making up 66 per cent of the total population. Nearly 40 per cent of the population of the country is between the age group of 13 – 35 years. India has the highest number of millennials and GenZ among all the nations in the world.
Today, India is a young nation and more than one-fourth of the population is below the age of 15 years. According to the National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-21), 27 per cent of the population is below the age of 15 years. And, 52 per cent of the total population is below the age of 30 years.
So, India has a booming youth group whose needs cannot be ignored. Youth is the most productive section of a society presenting great potential for growth and development. If a country invests in its young in terms of education, guaranteeing their rights, healthcare, ample growth opportunities, equality, etc., they can go on to become future leaders and innovators. Quality education is one of the primary needs that must be ensured for the youth to be productive and contribute in nation building.
Addressing needs
Rapid population growth can hinder education and growth opportunities of the youth. They can be a positive force of development if their basic needs are addressed – education, skills, training and opportunities – so they can access the job market and become a part of the bustling economy.
In any country, there’s economic growth when the working population is more than the dependent one. So, it’s imperative to engage with the young in a manner their energy and potential can be channelised for growth and development. They can be future innovators, leaders, thinkers and change-makers.
Education is a major challenge in India – primary and higher education and skill building and training. A survey report released by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) revealed that only 59.5 per cent of India’s young come under the ‘literate’ bracket. Among these also, there is a vast gap in terms of quality education in urban and rural areas. The divide also exists within the socio-economic categories.
Under the National Education Policy which was revised in 2020, the government is working towards increasing the number of schools, colleges and universities to meet the demands of the growing youth population. Efforts are being made to build more holistic curricula in education institutes that is futuristic, career-oriented and at par with international standards of education.
New initiatives and efforts in the education sector are focussing on increasing education access, promoting equity by addressing gender and socio-economic discrimination, improving quality by enhancing teacher training and integrating technology and fostering a research-based environment and encouraging innovation.
The industry
India’s education industry is the largest in the world – there are more than 250 million students, 15 lakh schools and 97 lakh teachers. With 580 million people in the age group of 5 – 24 years, the potential and opportunities are enormous.
Education in India is increasingly becoming technology-driven with the integration of artificial intelligence, machine learning and other tech gizmos making waves. There is more emphasis on quality vocational education, inclusive learning and developing education modules that are career oriented and increase employability.
Higher education institutes in India provide quality education of global standards. The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru and eight Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are nine institutes of higher education that are among the top 500 universities in the QS World University Rankings 2023.
It is a fast-growing sector as there’s also an increase in the demand for more industry-specific specialised degree programmes. The sector is also seeing a growing demand for online education modules – with the new-found acceptance established during the COVID-19 pandemic. So, more education institutes in India are now shifting focus on online educational programmes, bringing them at par with existing physical-mode programmes.
India’s education system is a highly competitive one, within the country and beyond as well. Indian students are enrolled in foreign universities across the world with an advantage they gained with education in India.
There’s a large English-speaking population that makes it easy for dissemination of information, knowledge and educational products. In the English Proficiency Index 2022, India stood at 52nd position among 111 countries. India is a significant player in the global education arena with one of the largest networks of higher education institutions in the world.
Estimates are that the Indian education market will amount to USD 225 billion by FY25, from USD 117 billion in FY20. In FY22, edtech startups received a total investment of USD 3.94 billion. In fact, PhysicsWallah – an edtech platform – became India’s 101st unicorn in June 2022 when it raised a hundred million US dollars.
In terms of global rankings, India stands first in the number of universities (In November 2022 there were 1,072 universities in India), second in terms of number of enrolments and third in the higher education system. The number of colleges in FY17 was over 40,000 which crossed the 42,000 mark in FY20.
There is an increase in private investment in the sector and more STEM-based edtech companies are now partnering with NITI Aayog and other government entities. This collaboration is creating a STEM ecosystem such as Atal Tinkering Labs to encourage more students into the science and technology sector.
Holistic approach
National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is based on India’s rich heritage of ancient knowledge. Indian thought and philosophy consider the pursuit of knowledge (Jnan), wisdom (Pragyaa) and truth (Satya) as the highest human goal and this has been a driving force in the current education policy.
The aim of education is not just acquiring knowledge but also preparing for a life in the contemporary world. India boasts of world-class education institutions and knowledge centres such as Takshashila, Nalanda, etc., where multi-disciplinary approach was the foundation.
The new policy is laying a strong emphasis on high-quality vocational education. Under this policy, the government is set to establish regional and national institutes for virology, more than 15,000 schools, hundred new Sainik schools and 750 residential schools in tribal areas based on the Eklavya model. The policy also requires mother tongue to be the medium of instruction in schools and higher education institutions.
For uniform implementation and to make the most out of it, it’s imperative to include all sections of the society and make sure all are benefitted from the initiatives. Women are a very important demographic component. Today, more young girls are surpassing boys in education and other opportunities.
The National Commission for Women has initiated a country-wide capacity building and personality development programme for women undergraduate and postgraduate students in order to prepare them for the new world – make them job-ready and independent.
Ritika Seth works with DraftCraft International as a Media Researcher and writes mostly on issues affecting the Fourth Estate. She likes reading contrarian literature and analysing sources of news