Chapter 2: Nurturing Excellence of Our Yuva Shakti

Introduction

• Rig Veda: The youth are the ones who pave the way for a better world.
• India now has a youth bulge, with the median age being 29.
• Under PM Modi's vision for India @2047, young empowerment is viewed as a crucial first step towards building an empowered future.
• The working-age population in India, or those aged 15 to 64, makes up 67% (or 80 crores) of the overall population, or the demographic dividend.
• Due to its demographics, the years 2020 to 2050 are seen as the Indian economy's "golden" years.

Era of Techade

• India has the third-largest startup ecosystem in the world and claims one unicorn out of every ten worldwide. The increase has been rapid, from a nation with only 4 unicorns in 2014 to one with more than 100 by 2022.
• Throughout 656 districts in India, there are approximately 77,000 government-recognized startups operating in 56 different industrial sectors, including IT services, healthcare, life science, education, professional services, agriculture, food & beverage, etc.
• The availability of data, services, marketing channels, outreach, and reduced burden of the high cost of doing business and compliances is another important component for building a sustainable startup ecosystem.
• From the 81st slot in 2015 to the 40th spot in 2022, India's position on the "World Innovation Index" has advanced quickly.
• These programmes and achievements are founded on India's climb to competitive international standards and the local creation of an environment that supports the nation's youth. For instance, the GeM platform has made it simple to address access to the market, a significant obstacle for businesses.
• The goal of Digital India is to connect even the most isolated parts of India. In addition to lowering the risk factors for new entrepreneurs, the IoT revolution and IT have helped the Indian market make a seamless shift to one that is contemporary, vibrant, and cutting edge globally.

Creators of jobs

• With a goal of overtaking the third-largest economy in the world by 2030/2031, India's multifaceted expansion is reflected in its economy, which has grown from 2 trillion dollars in 2014 to 3 trillion dollars in 2019.
• The government has introduced a number of programmes, including the PM Kaushal Vikas Yojana, the MUDRA programme, the Skill India Mission, and the MUDRA plan, to prioritise youth employability and skill development.
• The second-largest employable sector of manufacturing sectors is substantially benefiting from the cyclical benefits of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) programme. Codification of labour laws was done to extend safety, unemployment, and pension benefits to the unorganised sector.
• The government's twin objectives of improving the quality of life and making it easier to live have an implicit impact on the lives and potential of India's youth.

Holistic Education is Available

• The New Education Policy, which is altering India's Educational System, was the most significant of the educational reforms. The new programme has highlighted efforts to increase reading and numeracy outcomes in primary schools while lowering dropout rates in middle and secondary schools.
• Everyone can see the changes' primary aim. The system of medical education is another illustration of this. There were 387 medical colleges in the nation in 2014. Its number has expanded by more than 50%, reaching more than 600 medical colleges in 2022.
• To ensure that "no one is left behind," the reach of education has been increased. In order to provide gifted Scheduled Tribal children with a top-notch education, Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) have been established in tribal communities.
• The number of All India Institute of Medical Sciences that are open or established has also been tripled by the government.
• A new National Medical Commission (NMC) was established by the National Medical Commission with the goal of acting as the primary regulatory body for medical education in the nation. Moreover, NMC has increased accountability and transparency in medical education.

Ease of Living-A New Reality

• More than 11 crore household toilets have been constructed as part of the Swachh Bharat Mission, while more than 10 crore families have received cooking gas as part of the Ujjwala Yojana, making their homes smoke-free.
• Around 98% of Indian homes now have access to electricity because to the SAUBHAGYA and Deendayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana programmes.
• Following the achievement of Swachh Bharat Mission 1.0, more than 1.34 lakh villages have achieved "Open Defecation Free (ODF) Plus" status, meaning that collection, treatment, and reuse of solid and liquid waste has begun in these communities.
• Just 3.23 crore (17%) of the country's rural households had access to running water at the time Jal Jeevan Mission was established. Now, a guaranteed supply of clean tap water is available to more than 10.75 crore (56%) rural homes.

Way forward

• The nation's youth hold the key to helping India realise its aspirations and possibilities going forward. The participation of today's youth will be crucial in ensuring that India becomes not only the largest economy but also a truly developed country in 2047, when India will be celebrating 100 years of independence.
• In order to do this, the government has undertaken a variety of programmes to not only provide our kids with an education, skills, and a healthy lifestyle, but also to instill the proper value system, namely fraternity—the well-being of all. The emphasis must be on finding new ways to harness the enthusiasm and aspirations of our youth as India works to change its course in life.