International Youth Day, held each 12th of August, and National Youth Day, celebrated every 12th of January, are events instituted to recognize youth’s concerns and commemorate Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary respectively. These days offer an opportunity to bring awareness and solutions to difficulties the young population faces. This article discusses the historical significance of International Youth Day, issues confronting the youth sector, and steps taken both nationally and globally to tackle these challenges.
The Origins of International Youth Day
The United Nations declared in 1999 that International Youth Day would be commemorated annually, a resolution proposed by the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth in Lisbon. The inaugural observance occurred on the 12th of August, 2000. Each occasion is marked by a significant theme; for 2021, this was “Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health”.
Challenges Confronting Youth Potential
Several obstacles hinder the youth from realizing their full potential. These include an underfunded education system that fails to impart essential skills for emerging job opportunities. The World Bank reports that public spending on education was a mere 3.4% of GDP in 2020.
The pandemic also had a severe impact on student learning, mental health, and overall life quality due to school closures. According to the International Labour Organization, 65% of adolescents worldwide felt they learned less during the pandemic.
Young women, on the other hand, face issues such as child marriage, gender-based violence, and susceptibility to abuse and trafficking — all of which restrict them from achieving their full potential.
Employment Issues
Job growth is another problem plaguing the youth. Despite being the major contributor to India’s GDP, the service sector is not labor-intensive, leading to jobless growth. Approximately half of India’s population still relies on agriculture, a sector notorious for underemployment and disguised unemployment.
Implications of Low Social Capital
High levels of hunger, malnutrition, anaemia among adolescent girls, stunting among children, poor sanitation, and other social issues hinder Indian youth’s productivity.
India’s Youth Empowerment Initiatives
In response to these challenges, India established the National Youth Policy-2014, which aims to empower young individuals by giving them opportunities to reach their potential. The policy also positions India prominently within the international community.
Employment initiatives include Generation Unlimited in India (YuWaah), National Career Service, Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY), the Pradhan Mantri Rojgar ProtsahanYojana (PMRPY), and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA).
Programs dedicated to skill development such as Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana and YUVA also play a key role.
For social issues, India has enacted laws like the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005; Special Marriage Act, 1954; and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006.
On health and nutrition front, efforts are being made through schemes like Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), National Health Mission (NHM) etc.
Global Initiatives
Several global programs have also been put in place, such as The World Programme of Action for Youth, Global Youth Summit, and Global Youth Skills Day.
The Road to Progress
India, with its young population of 365 million (30% of the total population), has a substantial demographic dividend. As a significant step towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals, India must ensure a healthy young population. This can be done by enhancing access to adolescent-friendly healthcare facilities, providing gainful employment, and focusing on nutrition.