6.8. Issues related to Youth

The National Youth Policy 2014 defines the age of youth as persons between the age 15-29 years. Youths in India today face various challenges related to employment, drug abuse, suicidal tendencies, adverse impact of media and social-media and stress arising out of changing societal structure especially due to emergence of nuclear families.

Employability Challenge- Over 30% of youth aged 15-29 in India are not in employment, education or training (NEETs). This is more than double the OECD average and almost three times that of China. NEET status of youths results due to not enough quality jobs being created

in the system and because youths have little incentives or face too high constraints to be in the education and training systems.

Drug Abuse- Due to India’s close proximity with major opium growing areas of the region, India is facing the serious menace of drug trafficking and as a spillover effect, drug abuse especially among the youth is a matter of concern. Being signatory to all the three UN conventions and SAARC convention, India has enacted Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 and Prevention of Illicit Trafficking of Narcotics Drug and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988 through which the country is addressing various aspects of drug problem.

Suicidal Tendencies- Though India’s suicide rate is the 12th highest in the world, the country is

unfortunately home to the highest number of suicides among people in the 15-29 age group –

35.5 in 100,000 people. It is significant that the highest number of suicides is reported from states with a high literacy level. Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala and Karnataka report more than 53 percent of the national total.

Radicalization- Recent reports about a group of Indians joining the ISIS have raised concerns about the possibility of an increasing number of young professionals joining global jihadist groups. Second area of concern is the recent trend in India's domestic politics where radical groups and ideologies are being propagated, causing greater polarization among communities

Political exclusion- Young people have been excluded from development programs and activities in numerous ways. As an age cohort, youth are less likely to be involved in governance and decision-making processes, as a result of economic, political, and procedural barriers that prevent their participation. As the beneficiaries of services, youth are also likely to face marginalization due to their membership in excluded demographic groups, including: women, indigenous, disabled, LGBTQI, refugee, ethnic minority, migrant, and economically impoverished. Often marginalized from local and national development gains, youth are particularly vulnerable to economic shocks, social instability, and conflicts.

The World Programme of Action for Youth (WPAY), adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1995, provides a policy framework and practical guidelines for national action and international support to improve the situation of young people worldwide.