In an effort to promote youth dialogue on local and national issues, I founded an online discussion forum called Youth Bloc. The forum saw widespread participation from high school and university students across India. I organized and moderated 10 weekly debates witnessing heated discussions on several socio-economic and political issues.
You can visit the social media page of Youth Bloc on Facebook and Instagram
Below is a summary of the debate along with the youth’s suggestions as submitted to the Indian Government’s Ministry of Youth Affairs and to the Sports and Youth Welfare Department, Government of Madhya Pradesh.
Debate 01
Socio-economic Status, Political Representation and Marginalisation of Indian women
There was unanimous consensus between participants that the country’s institutional reforms have not been doing well in eliminating continual gender gaps in economic and political participation. The long-established patriarchal social systems in India have made power unevenly distributed, with men customarily holding influence over women. The same power imbalance is manifested in various governance engagements, where inequitable laws and normative systems only further perpetuate this inequality leading to marginalisation of Indian women.
It was argued that solutions should stem from an analysis of four recurrent themes: patriarchy, labour, education, government – within the milieu of Indian women’s socio-economic development. Furthermore arguments were made demanding active engagement to deconstruct gender-based realities – if not know then when? Existing marginality is thoroughly demeaning for economic well-being, human dignity and physical security of women. Women need employment justice, education and skill improvements – subjects we conduct seminars for, but achieve little in action. All this requires integrated approaches of private and public systems to serve the pressing needs of women empowerment.
Furthermore, the multifarious advantages associated with participation of women in the political process were also discussed. Politicians’ gender has an impact on the educational achievements of the residents of the districts in which they were elected; women are more sensitive to the needs of people of the same gender (development of girls schools, inspiring girls to complete education and to be financially independent) and can explore the possible means through which these interactions work. The inclusion of women in vital political roles can ensure girls and women confront the prevailing stereotypes and raise their ambitions.
Shreya Trehon, the winner of this debate, concluded her argument quoting Mahatma Gandhi: “As long as women of India do not take part in public life, there can be no salvation for the country. As long as women do not come to public life and purify, we are not likely to attain swaraj. Ever if we did, it would have no use for that kind of swaraj to which women have not made their full contribution.” The Indian youth vehemently demands that the country must endeavour to fight to uplift the socio-economic and political status of women!
Suggestions: The government must take active measures to ensure that political parties include more women on their candidates list and become the institutional medium facilitating their participation within party structures and over election periods. More funds must be allocated to independent female political politicians and also to political parties that have a substantial number of female political candidates to make political parties involve more women for political office. Governments should promote the economic emancipation of women to enable independent decision making without being restricted by their male counterparts who may be breadwinners or husbands at home.
Debate 02
Discussing India’s Climate Policy and its Sustainability
With global temperatures skyrocketing, India too has experienced the adverse effects of climate change evidenced by abrupt increases in heat waves, ocean warming, tropical cyclones, rainfall changes, droughts, floods and landslides, rising sea levels, and decreased Himalayan snowfall. Compared to other countries, India faces an even greater challenge in terms of climate change because of its massive population and widespread income disparity.
There were different opinions on the actions taken by the Indian government to tackle climate change. While some argued that India’s move to join the international bandwagon to mitigate climate change is proof of the government’s commitment to sustainable development, others were sceptical given the government’s insistence on prioritising economic growth over environmental protection as it continues to push for privatisation and revitalization of India’s coal market. Nevertheless, most speakers maintained that Indian policy makers have been successful in deriving a pragmatic and ambitious approach toward climate change. India’s climate policy accounts for domestic and global climate change in the form of the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) in 2008 and the Intended Nationally Determined Commitments (INDC), submitted to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) during the Paris Agreement in 2015, respectively. Additionally, the Indian Ministry of Earth Sciences released its first comprehensive climate change assessment report in June 2020 to understand climate change projections and identify global warming trends over time. They also highlighted how India is one of the few countries that have nearly achieved the Paris Agreement INDCs. Many appreciated Prime Minister Modi’s proclamation to scale-up renewable energy under the National Missions promising to lead to a 33%–35% decline in energy consumption, with 175 GW of renewable energy production by 2030.
Sarthak Arora won the debate with the final remarks: “With a shift from coal-based to solar energy, India has made efforts to promote electric mobility, increase carbon tax, and eliminate single-use plastic. These steps have paved the way to further the cause, achieve targets against climate change, and garner international cooperation toward a sustainable future. Indeed with these policies in place, India may achieve these targets in advance to the set deadlines. Continuing to create awareness about climate change through global collaboration, India’s approach towards a sustainable future may prove to be effective against climate change.”
Suggestions: The Indian government should aim to promote solar energy, conserve water, create sustainable habitats, preserve the Himalayan ecology, create efficient energy demand-management strategies, promote sustainable agriculture, decrease greenhouse gas emissions, implement sustainable development programs through government institutions, and promote international cooperation for research, development, and knowledge sharing to truly create a “Green India”.
Debate 03
Is the move to self-reliance good for India’s economy or does it mean less globalization?
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the world economy to a standstill because of the sudden lockdown and burden on the healthcare and financial sectors. Since the Great Depression, the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to cause the worst economic recession that could disrupt globalization itself. Affecting import and export, the pandemic has impeded global value chains and local supply chains equally. Moreover, several industries and organizations have been forced to shut down or downsize, with the airline and hospitality industries incurring colossal losses.
While struggling to meet domestic demands to revive the economy, and decrease COVID-19 cases, Prime Minister Modi announced a 265 billion dollar (USD) stimulus package to boost the Indian economy. He stressed upon his vision to create a self-reliant India under the “Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan,” based on 5 pillars: Economy, Infrastructure, System, Demography, and Demand. The strategy focuses on local manufacturing and promoting established industries (such as IT, ammunition, and medical and electronic device manufacturing and supply) and indigenous products through “Make in India” and being “Vocal for Local.” This mission aims to curb over-dependence on international producers and trade imbalances while remaining open to international trade and foreign direct investment.
Indian youth seemed divided on this issue. Some were concerned that this would take India back to the old days of import substitution and closed and hostile market for foreign trade and investment. They maintained that the policy was “some benign embrace of an outward-looking self- reliance”.
Defenders of this doctrine, however, pointed out that “self-reliance” should not be mistaken for autarky: the latter implies doing everything for oneself, while the former suggests being able to fend for oneself, which sounds more limited and reasonable than cutting oneself off from the outside world. Arushi Agrawal reasoned in her winning argument, “Using India’s massive workforce, demographic, differentiation, and cost advantages, self-reliance can be implemented by boosting local businesses while remaining open to international trade. Investing in training/skill-development, self-employment, innovation, research, development, and enterprise can help India achieve self-reliance while maintaining globalization in a post-pandemic world”.
Suggestions: The government should implement appropriate initiatives, reforms, and policies to effectively implement this strategy. India must focus on improving domestic manufacturing investment and develop global brands, without seeking toward anti-trade measures such as import-substitution. It must halt the march of tariff increases and embrace free trade. Self-reliance should particularly be pursued in building India’s indigenous military capability, given the recent border threats from the country’s neighbors. Alas, remaining open to trading while investing in the economy, businesses, training, job creation, innovation, research, development, and enterprise can help India achieve self-reliance through international cooperation to survive the new normal.
Debate 04
Digital Divide during COVID-19 would further widen inequality in India
The COVID-19 pandemic has deemed most Indian institutions to adopt online operations to remain functional. With this sudden shift to digital platforms, education, healthcare, and employment are easily available to those with online access. However, the country’s rural population that does not own computers is rendered digitally incapable. This causes disparity with regards to online access, resulting in a socio-economic digital divide.
Speakers recognized this inequality of digital access between urban and rural populations. Citing a report from the National Sample Survey in 2017-18, only one in 10 families own computer devices, many young Indians argued how socio-economically challenged citizens are at a major disadvantage in a “Digital India” in terms of access to education or employment. In particular, they expressed their displeasure with the response of Indian institutions following the pandemic, which imitated developed countries in implementing online operations with utter disregard for India’s evident educational, digital, and socio-economic disparity.
The debate concluded with a unanimous front that “Digital India” falls short with regard to digital capabilities and technical skills. The debate’s winner, Ashmi Jha, exclaimed, “To bridge this digital divide, the current leadership must shape Digital India using an education-centric humanitarian approach that accounts for the offline population”.
Suggestions: To achieve a Digital India, leaders must keep education at the forefront and adopt a humanist approach rather than a technological one to ensure that urban and rural populations survive and thrive regardless of the pandemic. Notably, states such as Kerala and Bengal have adapted to the crisis by showcasing virtual lectures on television, which remains an effective medium in rural areas. Additionally, national broadcasting channels such as Doordarshan and All India Radio have started presenting teaching courses. Similar efforts extended across all education boards can decrease the digital divide and prevent the impending post-pandemic socio-economic imbalance.
Debate 05
Reforming tenure of elected officials: the question of fixed tenure, right to recall, and mid-term elections
There were three distinct perspectives which were explored by the debaters. The first one was in vehement support of the a fixed 5-year tenure for both India’s national and state legislative assemblies. Ira Pande, the debate’s winner, cited a report by Niti Aayog (the policy research centre of the Indian Government) recommending a fixed 5-year tenure for elected officials of the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies. She elaborated how avoiding frquent elections would help sustain the electoral cycle, necessitating parliamentary term completion before general elections. “A fixed tenure can ensure a stable government, aid in effective policy administration, and foster responsibility among representatives”, she added.
Some disagreed citing a lack of any constitutional provision for such a fixed tenure. They argued that to provide for a fixed term we must ensure that a constructive vote of no confidence could account for simultaneous elections, including by-elections between terms, if need be.
Others offered an insight into electoral systems in countries such as the US that have mid-term elections while also having provisions to directly vote and remove elected officials from office before their term ends in case of inappropriate behaviour – a right that the Indian electorate does not enjoy. They suggested that Indian citizens be granted a Right to Recall (RTR), allowing for a legislator’s incompetency as grounds for recall. RTR increases the vertical accountability of elected officials and decreases political criminalization, while facilitating direct democracy. However, it can over-burden the Election Commission, shifting focus from efficient development to political turmoil mandating multiple elections and re-elections.
Suggestions: If the government pursues Niti Aayog’s recommendations to provide for a fixed 5-year tenure for elected representatives of the legislature then this must be done along with adequate provisions for a vote of no confidence to sustain the electoral cycle and ensure a stable government. Furthermore, the Right to Recall representatives or midterm elections could help increase people’s faith in democracy at the risk of political uncertainties.
Debate 06
Discussing trust in government, corruption, and youth participation in the political process
The last decade has seen stark fluctuations in people’s trust in governments. Despite mass protests and sudden lockdowns, the pandemic has revealed a significant change in public opinion and an increase in trust in governments worldwide. In their opening remarks, the young debaters cited various researches including the Edelman Trust Barometer report, which concluded that citizens from 11 countries, including India, increased their self-reported trust rating in the government with the advent of the pandemic. India saw a 6% increase in trust in government owing to a greater section of the population becoming dependent on the government for information, protection, support, and economic relief during the COVID-19 crisis.
However, Nishant Singh, the debate’s winner, was quick to note that the increase added a huge responsibility on the Indian government. He argued, “Recovering from the wrath of the pandemic, the Indian democracy appears to be a battleground that can either fall prey to rampant bureaucratic and political corruption due to relaxed regulations or emerge unharmed through transparent governance and corruption-less management”.
When discussing youth participation in the political process, the youngsters explained how in these uncertain times young activists of the nation have taken up the responsibility of vocalizing their opinions through social media and streaming platforms. With a dwindling trust in media reporting, online youth have created blogs and investigative channels to pursue independent research and confront corruption. Furthermore, they have started promoting fact-checking websites to refute fake news. Technology has given a voice to young journalists who aim to participate in the political process and bring about change.
The debate concluded with a unanimous understanding that with or without the pandemic, the responsibility to secure India’s future lies in the hands of the youth who need to build awareness and exercise their right to vote to help elect appropriate representatives to take the country forward.
Suggestions: With an increase in people’s trust in the Indian government during the pandemic, representatives have a huge responsibility to conduct transparent policymaking and corruption-less management. As people question media reporting during these times, the youth have taken it upon themselves to sift through the fake news and express their opinions through social media. India’s future lies in the hands of these young activists who will shape the country and decide its fate. The government should therefore encourage not only youth participation in the political process by encouraging first-time voters to cast their ballots but should also encourage youth dialogue in politics by encouraging discussion forums, political organizations and discursive panels.
Debate 07
Erosion of public confidence in the media threatens democracy
In recent years, Indian journalism has lost the credibility it once boasted. Evident through Twitter conversations, Indian masses do not trust the media anymore. Circulating misinformation, several mainstream media houses have faced backlash for propagating fake news.
In her opening statement, a speaker informed members of the forum about a study conducted by the University of Michigan in April 2020 that found misinformation in India to have increased following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s lockdown announcement. The study also states that the cases of debunking fake claims that affected readers drastically increased. Moreover, misinformation such as fake claims, statistics, and government-related news was heavily circulated via social media.
Similar concerns were raised by other debaters, with the debate’s winner, Krishna Balasubramanian, arguing, “News reporting and published material must be factually presented in an unbiased manner because it directly affects opinion formation. However, “paid news” fuels biased media coverage based on specific interests and influence. The decline in the credibility of media houses can be attributed to a rise in alleged paid news. To tackle this issue, the TRAI report on “Issues on Media Ownership” recommends restrictions on media ownership to curb business and political interests. However, the report does not include the much-needed transparency or accountability”.
The youngsters articulated ways to ensure transparency. In particular, they stressed on the significance of complete and transparent disclosure of funding or any potential conflicts of interest about the topic in question to keep media houses in check. Ultimately, the house unanimously maintained that to protect the democratic principles of the country, media – the fourth pillar of democracy – must remain transparent and unbiased and strict to report accurate stories for the common interest of the public.
Suggestions: Since the Indian Government is the biggest investor in news agencies undertaken for various awareness campaigns issued in public interest, it has a direct control over the news programmes it sponsors. In addition, through the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the government should ensure that media houses present news that is objective and factual for it directly affects public opinion. Although the TRAI report recommends restrictions on media ownership, regulations demanding complete and transparent disclosure of funding and political affiliations can facilitate greater transparency and accountability of media houses. During media coverage, a disclosure of stake owners and organizations, assets, political party affiliations, sponsors/business interests, and the percentage of paid news can help maintain the transparency and credibility of media houses. Conducting in-depth research and a high degree of fact checking can help media houses decrease the instances of misreporting and false claims. It is also important to sensitize journalists and news reporters to issues that may provoke the sentiments of viewers. a shift from government funding to public funding can also foster transparent, unbiased reporting with public interests at the forefront.
Debate 08
Growing intolerance is the bane of a multicultural society
As a secular country, India was founded on the grounds of religious tolerance, accounting for its multilingual and multicultural population. However, the rise of the current leadership appears to have brought with it a surge of nationalistic views based in traditionalism. If this sustains, there may be a rise in extremist religious beliefs that directly challenge secularism and spark greater conflicts and suffering among religious minorities.
The avid speakers argued that although Indian youth appear to be more conservative than their global contemporaries, they hold progressively liberal and secular views. According to the Lokniti report, Attitudes, Anxieties and Aspirations of India’s Youth: Changing Patterns, in 2016, Indians have become more liberal regarding issues, such as reservations and inter-caste marriages, that have daunted previous generations. Despite an increase in liberalism, India has seen a rise in majoritarian violence, with increased nationalism, lynching, and hate speech against minorities that can easily be construed as extremism.
Debaters also elaborated on the role of social media platforms, such as Twitter, in equalizing the right to free speech. However, they also noted the underlying issue of misinformation and hate speech under the garb of freedom of expression with social media platforms becoming a breeding ground for communal hatred and a medium for freely expressing intolerance. With evident polarization in terms of opinions, the role of social media in mainstream broadcasting is questioned by journalists, scholars, and representatives. In reaction to the polarized views, government regulations can be misused and misinterpreted, further resulting in unwarranted but strict censorship in India.
Sakshi Biyani won the debate by beautifully concluding: “To secure the credibility of secular India, religious institutions, political parties, and other cultural organisations must be held accountable to guide the way and diffuse communal hatred. Furthermore, they must also abstain from propagating false claims and religious propaganda. Remembering that the Article 25 of the Indian constitution grants equal religious and moral rights to all, the citizens of India are duty-bound to promote peace and harmony, regardless of their religion, language, or region. Therefore, ending intolerance and cooperating toward a peaceful solution can keep India secular”.
Suggestions: Although India was founded on religious tolerance, a rise in nationalism, lynching, and hate speech against minorities have directly challenged secularism in the recent past. Indian youth appear to be liberal in terms of several traditions. However, social media platforms are rife with people openly expressing communal hatred and intolerance. To prevent manipulation of government regulations and censorship of public opinion, relevant religious institutions and government bodies must be held accountable for cooperating toward a harmonious and secular India.
Debate 09
Discussing the National Education Policy 2020
Amidst the pandemic, the Indian Government’s Ministry of Education announced its new National Education Policy. Replacing the 10+2+3 system with a 5+3+3+4 system, the government aims to restructure education system. This ambitious reform aims to improve the existing system by setting 3 years for pre-school from 3 to 6 years of age; conducting exams in grades 3, 5, and 8; redesigning board exams to be easier and not based on rote memory; introducing common university entrance tests; and offering a 4-year undergraduate-level bachelor’s degree. These reforms are set to be implemented by the 2021-22 academic year.
The debaters unanimously appreciated the government’s efforts recognizing that these modifications would allow students to develop core competencies, aiming to provide flexibility regarding subjects with equal importance given to curricular and extra-curricular activities. Early childhood care and education (ECCE) will be introduced from the age of 3 years, such that it lays the foundation of reading and numbers by grade 3.
The discussions were intricately summed up by the debate’s winner, Payal Uchil, “The existing schooling system branched out into science, arts, and commerce; however, the new education system aims to blur the boundaries among these subjects. The reform also states the introduction of vocational education and internships from the 6th grade to ensure that students gain professional experience from an early age. This new system follows a pragmatic approach, allowing students to explore new subjects, specialize based on their strengths, and choose the path that they deem fit.”
Suggestions: The New Education Policy by the Ministry of Education aims to restructure the education system to be holistic, allowing students to develop core competencies while simultaneously blurring distinctions between the science, arts, and commerce branches. However, the government should ensure that the education system remains flexible in terms of subjects and focuses on vocational training along with curricular and extracurricular activities, to allow students to explore and specialize in subjects and career fields of their choice.
Debate 10
Youth Employment in India: a question of skills and opportunity
Globally, India has the largest youth population, accounting for approximately 66% of the total population. Over the next decade, India’s youth labour force is estimated to increase by 8 million per year, which challenges the government to create employment opportunities. With the current pandemic, India’s youth unemployment rate is estimated to increase to 24% by 2021. Considering the demographic dividend of India, providing jobs to young people who enter the labour market can help increase economic growth and decrease the dependency ratio.
Firstly, the speakers outlined key characteristics of India’s young labor force. The Indian youth begin to participate in the labour market at an incredibly early age due to widespread poverty and illiteracy. They often engage in less productive labour activities because they cannot afford to remain unemployed. Furthermore, self-employment and low-wage employment in the informal sector are common among youth.
Gourav Acharya won the argument with his remark, “If more employment opportunities are created, India’s youth can directly apply for jobs after completing their education. Furthermore, policymakers must account for labour-market participation, regardless of socioeconomic background, and ensure holistic education, skill development, vocational/professional training opportunities, and productive labour activities”.
Others concurred that such measures would help prevent unemployment. They also added that with a focus on a more holistic approach, the new education reform might help the youth develop skills, train, specialize, and prepare for future labor markets.
Suggestions: With an ever-increasing youth labour force, India’s youth unemployment rate is estimated to be 24% by 2021 owing to the pandemic. Therefore, policymakers must create appropriate opportunities for both rural and urban youth by launching skill-development schemes and unemployment allowances. The government should also provide credit, marketing assistance, and technical and logistical support self-employed youth to enable them to expand their businesses and create job opportunities for not only themselves but also for others. To tackle the problem of low-productivity work, the government must establish appropriate institutions and formulate schemes and programs to assist the unemployed and the less-privileged youth of the country by helping them develop relevant 21st century skills to better participate in the highly competitive labor market.