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Abstract
Youth constitute about 2/5th population of the country. Indian youth today are going through a period of uncertainty about their future leading to a sense of frustration and cynicism. Avenue for productive employment are limited and young people are getting increasingly involved in crime and other anti-social activities. It is, therefore, imperative that the agencies responsible for planning and delivering youth development programmes should address the concerns and problems of youth urgently. The forces of modernization, globalization and economic liberalization have created great opportunities for youth however; a large segment of youth is facing severe challenges in realizing the development potential and participation in development process. The National Youth Policy, 2014 has provided a plan of action which gives new direction and impetus to youth development programmes in the country. Present paper purports to examine the status, issues and challenges being faced by Indian youth.
Keywords: Youth, Liberalisation, Globalisation and Moderanisation, Youth Employment, Skill, Education, Violence
Introduction
Youth is commonly understood as a transitional stage between childhood and adulthood. Youth and adulthood have two dimensions viz., biological and social. Planning Commission, Government of India has designated youth to the age of 15-35 years. Youth in the age group of 15-29 years comprise 27.5 per cent of the population. At present, about 34 per cent of India's gross national income is contributed by the youth, aged 15-29 years. However, there exists a huge potential to increase the contribution of youth by increasing their labour force participation and productivity. Government of India currently invests more than Rs. 90,000 crores per annum on youth development programmes. In addition, the state governments and a number of other stakeholders are also working to support youth development and to enable productive youth participation. A National Youth Policy, 2014 seeks to define the vision of the Government of India for the youth of the nation and identify the key areas in which action is required. The policy provides a holistic vision for the youth of India which is to empower the youth of the country to achieve their full potential, and through them enable India to find its rightful place in the community of nations. The priority areas of national policy include creating a productive work force; developing a strong...