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Youth is crucial for the progress and success of a country.
Most of the sustainable development goals of the United Nations focus on youth, treating them as an important population group in a country, and emphasizing the need for investment in them.
India has the world's largest youth population, with approximately 66% of the population (808 million people) under the age of 35.
Although this number is expected to decrease, by 2030, India will still be a relatively "young" country, with a population of 24% (365 million people) aged 15-29.
At a time when many countries such as Europe and the United States are dealing with the dual problems of aging population and decreasing youth population, how India cultivates its youth will determine its future development direction.
In order to maximize this" The most dynamic and vibrant group" The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of the Indian government has drafted the National Youth Policy 2021 (NYP), proposing a 10-year vision for youth development by 2030.
The draft was drafted after a comprehensive review of the current 2014 National Youth Policy.
National Youth Policy
India's first national youth policy was drafted in 1988 and later revised in 2003, 2014, and 2021, respectively.
With each revision, the government's policy focus is on moving towards a more innovative and sustainable direction - shifting from concepts to specific youth empowerment and participation, shaping all aspects of India's 21st century growth.
For example, the National Youth Policy of 2003 mainly aimed to instill patriotism and moral values in young people.
It emphasizes respect for all religious beliefs, beliefs, and socio-cultural values to promote national unity and integration.
The policy also mentions gender equity, acknowledging that gender bias is the "main factor" leading to poor health and socio-economic well-being for women.
However, the vision of gender equity in the 2003 National Youth Policy has not been supported by specific action plans.
In contrast, the content of the 2014 National Youth Policy is much richer. It revised the youth age range from 13 to 35 years old in the 2003 version to 15 to 29 years old, adopting a "more focused" approach to youth development and empowerment, identifying 5 goals and 11 priority action areas, including mental health and drug abuse, to achieve these goals.
In addition, it also emphasizes equal opportunities for young people to receive education, lifelong learning, vocational education, and skill development. Although the policy draft is forward-looking, it has attracted criticism due to the lack of elaboration on specific action plans and its disconnection from the actual situation.
On the other hand, the 2021 National Youth Policy mainly focuses on comprehensive and sustainable development. This policy is consistent with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, mainly including high-quality education, reducing inequality, decent work, and economic growth.
From encouraging participation in sports and creating more modern and comprehensive school curricula, to financial, legal, and digital literacy, to providing mental health assistance and involving young people in policy and decision-making.
Compared to before, the scope of the 2021 National Youth Policy is more comprehensive. It covers all important aspects of health and well-being, education and society, as well as the importance of young labor for India's overall development and progress. However, it still lacks a clear plan for implementation.
The Challenges Faced by the 2021 National Youth Policy
The 2021 National Youth Policy covers a wide range of areas and focuses on the reintegration of "Nit" youth (referring to young people who do not pursue education, employment, further education, or participate in employment counseling, and are idle all day long), which is crucial.
It suggests developing plans and measures to help these young people reintegrate into society, but lacks clear time planning and specific measures.
If India cannot provide equal employment opportunities, the reintegration of "Nit" youth will be very difficult.
Considering that India's unemployment rate in 2022 is 23.2%, achieving this goal seems very difficult.
One method of providing employment is to include well-trained "Nit" youth in government programs to meet the domestic demand for educators and provide employment opportunities for a considerable portion of them.
Another drawback of the 2021 National Youth Policy is that it does not explicitly assume that all young people in India have equal access to education, skills, and employment opportunities.
This policy overlooks the significant differences in India's youth population, with only a very small number of young people being able to utilize their social, cultural, and economic status to achieve their aspirations and gain better career opportunities and mobility.
On the contrary, the vast majority of young people represent socially and economically disadvantaged groups and face significant challenges in achieving sustainable livelihoods.
For urban young immigrants, these differences are even more significant. Considering that 5.6 million students will drop out of school during the COVID-19 in 2020-2021, in 2019, 30% of the youth aged 15-29 will be "Nite" youth, and 57% of them will be women.
Economic migration, discrimination, early marriage, and other social barriers are considered the key factors that lead to school dropout.
However, the 2021 National Education Policy only addresses these issues and considers dropout as a personal issue that can be addressed through "school community parent cooperation," "consultation," or "bank loans," but ignores the inherent structural barriers of the education system.
In addition, 60% of students are unable to access the internet, which is likely to undermine the policy's recommendation to rethink traditional teaching models, which is to use technology to "provide more educational opportunities for those who are unable to attend school or university due to distance or disability".
The policy also assumes an ideal scenario where the relationship between the central government and the states achieves optimal synergy, and there is a high degree of coordination among departments.
In addition to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, this policy also involves multiple departments such as the Ministry of Skills Development and Entrepreneurship, the Ministry of Rural Development, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Skills Development and Entrepreneurship, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, as well as numerous departments under each department.
In addition, the implementation of policies also requires active coordination and support among non-governmental stakeholders, non-governmental organizations, youth organizations, and the private sector. Through practical experience, the implementation of the 2021 National Youth Policy may face significant challenges.
The 2021 National Youth Policy presents a forward-looking vision for empowering the youth community in India, which will drive domestic growth and enhance its international influence in the 21st century.
However, due to the lack of a clear implementation strategy and detailed action plan, the future of this policy still has a long way to go
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