It will be unfair to say that the young get everything on a platter and don’t have to work for it. With a few exceptions, the youth face many challenges in their day to day lives. Even the over-achievers and the prodigies are not spared. They say when the going gets tough, the tough gets going. And, the internet and the digital revolution has made most things easy in terms of availability and access, the challenges are far too many to be discounted.
The youth are defined as individuals between the ages of 15 to 29 years. Individuals in this age group in present day mostly face problems of unemployment, drug abuse, risks from social media, stress owing to nuclear families, loneliness, suicidal tendencies, etc.
The pace at which the world is changing and societal / family structures are transforming is drastic and disturbing. Very often, the distress for the young begins with these changes and the inability to adapt to them fast enough. The constant tussle between modern and traditional way of living causes a lot of stress for the youth as well.
Unemployment woes
It’s the youngsters in a nation that hold the promise of contributing to the economic growth of the nation. It’s in these years that individuals finish their schooling and their graduation and are ready to jump in the job market. Although, today, there’s no upper limit to getting more educated – with the sea of skills and knowledge upgradation forums available online and offline – most youngsters start looking for a job in these crucial years that lie between the ages of 15 to 29 years.
The youth unemployment rate in India has been gradually rising in the last few years, only to hasten due to the dreadful Covid-19 pandemic that halted recruitment and hiring the world over, like never before.
As per the Periodic Labour Force Survey, for the age group of 15 to 29 years, the youth unemployment rate stood at 25.5 per cent for the period between April – June 2021. The survey was done in 22 states and each of these had a double-digit unemployment rate for the youth of this age group. The overall unemployment rate in India in the same period had also increased to 12.6 per cent from the previous quarter’s 9.3 per cent.
Other numbers reveal that, in India, the youth unemployment rate for 2021 was 28.26 per cent, for 2020 was 24.90 per cent, for 2019 was 22.74 per cent and for 2018 was 23.05 per cent – a 0.47 per cent increase from 2017.
With a significant population of youth unemployed, this is probably the biggest challenge faced by the youth today. Among the 13 million joining the workforce every year in India, 1 in 4 MBA degree holders, 1 in 5 engineering degree holders and 1 in 10 graduates are employable.
Mental health concerns
One of the most common mental health problems that’s overlooked quite often is depression. Globally, more than 300 million individuals are suffering from depression and the number is increasing by the minutes. Despite the increase in the prevalence of depression, the efforts taken to combat it and to ensure a happy and stress-free life are far beyond.
Depression is a common mental disorder seen across all age groups including children and adolescents. In the age group of interest, commonly reported symptoms include concentration difficulties, depressed mood, diminished interest in play activities, behavioural problems such as anger or aggression, decreased sleep, indecisiveness, restlessness, etc.
Depression is ranked as the single largest contributor to global disability (7.5 per cent of all years lived with disability in 2015). Worst cases of depression may end up in suicide and over 8,00,000 people die due to suicide every year – the second leading cause of death among people in the age group of 15 – 29 years.
A National Mental Health Survey 2015-16 conducted in India revealed that nearly 15 per cent Indian adults need active intervention for one or more mental health issues and one in 20 Indians suffers from depression.
There are some effective programmes that have shown promising results in terms of prevention. Even school-based programmes that further community approach have been effective in instilling a pattern of positive thinking in children and adolescents.
India’s National Mental Health Programme of India comprises life-skills training and counselling in educational institutions, workplace stress management and suicide prevention services, etc., and is an example of the government’s commitment in this area. Even Health and Wellness Centres under Ayushman Bharat have a provision for mental healthcare services.
Apart from mental health issues, the youth in India today are also becoming more and more prone to general health issues such as undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, stress-induced conditions and other lifestyle diseases.
Corruption and competition
Corruption is something that poses challenges not just for the youth but any individual who works hard and with honesty. Corruption, of any kind, deprives the deserving of opportunities they would have otherwise availed. It is a big hindrance in the progress of any nation and India is struggling with this as well.
Bribing administrators, bureaucrats, clerical staff, law enforcers, etc., fuels corruption and help the undeserving buy education and job opportunities, scholarships and other benefits.
Nearly 1.58 crore children aged between 10 and 17 years are addicted to various substances
It’s a big burden on India and serious efforts must be made to free India of corruption.
Apart from that, competition in education and job sectors pose serious challenges to Indian youth. Not only are there very limited merit-based seats in education institutes but also limited job opportunities. As a result, the young are constantly jostling to upgrade their CVs by paying for additional courses or programmes … for a better seat or a more stable job.
Other vices
Although literacy rates have increased in India, they still fall short of the optimum numbers. As a result of illiteracy and, consequentially, unemployment and financial instability, the youth very often resort to petty crimes such as stealing, looting, etc., and sometimes more serious offences and beggary.
Another challenge that this rigmarole poses is drug addiction or substance abuse. Although mostly found in the poor and the uneducated, drug abuse is now rampant across young individuals from all economic strata.
Joblessness, bad company, peer pressure, lack of supervision from parents, etc., often pushes young individuals into addiction.
A survey revealed that around 13 per cent of those involved in drug and substance abuse in India are below 20 years of age. This is a very serious situation that requires immediate intervention from relevant authorities.
In December 2022, the Indian government told the apex court that in India, 1.58 crore children aged between 10 and 17 years are addicted to various substances. It further added that alcohol is the most commonly used psychoactive substance by the Indians followed by Cannabis and Opioids.
Substance abuse not just damages the mind and the body; it destroys everything around an individual including relationships, families, etc. The user soon becomes a burden on the society, begins to lean towards criminal activities and risks contracting HIV/Aids.