There is a strong and direct correlation between youth and nation development. One cannot be seen or evaluated or analysed without the consideration of the other variable, partly or in full.
This relationship is also mutually beneficial and dependent on the other one. Youth and national integration or national development go hand in hand. The importance of youth in the nation’s progress cannot be emphasised enough and India is no exception.
A country as big as India, and with a significant youth population, the role and interplay are of paramount importance and interesting at the same time. For a stable and steady progress of a nation, the participation of youth is mandatory.
Contribution in progress
The biggest contribution that the youth can make to nation building is through their skills to create and innovate. At a young age, when the mind is not influenced by external factors and by limits that are usually put by formal education, the mind is likely to think freely, uninfluenced and challenge the laid down norms and standards.
There are many instances where the youth have made the country proud by their sheer genius and innovations that no one else could think of. In fact, a lot of great ideas have come from those who have not fared too well in formal education set-ups and, on the parameters, laid down by these systems to assess intelligence, etc.
For the advancement of a nation, and for future development, the role of youth is crucial. For the growth of technology and innovation in the country, increased tech access to youth is important.
The government has taken several initiatives to encourage involvement of the youth in technology and innovation and to provide facilities and access to those keen on contributing.
Tech and innovation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his inaugural speech at the Bengaluru Tech Summit said that India’s technology and innovation have already impressed the world but the future will be much bigger than the present because India has innovative youth and increasing tech access.
He also spoke about how the power of the youth of this nation has been recognised worldwide and led to talent globalisation. It’s no surprise how Indians have made a name for themselves in the science and technology sectors and related domains such as healthcare, finance, management, etc.
In the Innovation Index, India has already improved its position from 81st position in 2015 to 40th position in 2022. This is the result of increased contribution in the tech and innovation sector. Another factor is youth empowerment through increased tech access.
Another vital variable that has led to the increased number of start-ups and research and development centres in India is due to the growth in the number of youth in India. The talent pool and the skill set presented by the country’s youth are contributing to the growth in more ways than one.
Presently, India is the third largest start-up hub in the world with around 41,000 recognised start-ups. At the same time, in India, there are R&D centres of several international companies and outfits.
The World Youth Skills Day is observed every year on 15 July and sees innovators and creators from around the world who are making this world a better place. Recent events in India’s timeline such as the election of India for the eighth term as Non-Permanent UN Security Council Member and the Prime Minister’s clarion call to make India ‘Aatmanirbhar’ have put Indian youth in the spotlight, again.
Government of India’s NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) enables the youth to learn new skills. The Covid-19 pandemic that was dreadful in so many ways, did present an opportunity to innovate and leverage digital technology for enhancing the skills and creativity of young students during the lockdown.
The Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) community enabled setting up a connection of the Indian youth with NITI Aayog … to step up, learn and innovate!
Consequentially, AIM launched the #TinkerfromHome initiative and the ATL Community Day Challenge on Ambedkar Jayanti (14 April 2020) where young students and teachers honed various skills such as design thinking, artificial intelligence, 3D design, game development, mobile and web app development, drones, creativity and digital learning.
Conducive environment
The youth of a nation is important because they are the future – future leaders and creators. The youth are enthusiastic and energetic and free to think outside the box. Not just that, they have an innate ability to learn quickly and adapt to situations. If channelised properly, their energy and enthusiasm can be drawn for positive growth of the nation.
Another important quality the youth possess that can be beneficial for the nation’s progress is the willingness to learn and then implement the knowledge to achieve desired goals. Youth can transform communities and improve the society. No matter what field they choose, if they set their minds to it, youth can make changes like none other.
It’s the focus and clean intention that is not adulterated by greed for money or power and other vices that makes the youth so powerful and their actions so impactful. It doesn’t matter which field they contribute in, the youth can choose any and contribute in the development of the nation.
The numbers game
India is one of the youngest nations in the world which means in India, the percentage of youth population is the largest as compared to any other population age group. India has more than 55 percent of the population below the age of 25 years and more than 60 per cent of the population is in the working age group which is between 15 to 60 years.
Estimates reveal that the average age of India’s population by the year 2023 would be 29 years old. As compared to the world, this figure falls as follows – In Japan, the average age of the population would be 47 years and in the United States of America it would be 40 years old.
There is no doubt that the population numbers are promising because the larger number of youth give India an edge over most other nations in terms of the demographic dividend – which is the growth in the economy of the country due to the change in the age structure of the country.
India is fast addressing the lingering problems that haunted the nation’s development since freedom, including economic growth, poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, corruption. The fact that a very big portion of the country’s population is young means there’s a lot of scope to channelise this section of society towards national development and advancement.
The numbers keep changing but fact remains youth are crucial for a nation’s growth and prosperity. They are the future of a nation and in order for a nation to progress, the youth have to come forward and take responsibility head on.
It’s the age of the youth, worldwide. They have taken over several areas such as social media and have shown their calibre time and again. A little push in the right direction will go a long way for the youth to be an effective and strong catalyst of national growth.