For any power to last, it should come from deep within. Several times in history, India has dominated and shaped the world. Be it the case of Chandragupta Maurya, Ashoka or Akbar, it has happened only due to the extraordinary leadership of a single individual. For the same reason, these powers have barely lasted beyond their creator’s existence. For a nation to be a real and lasting superpower, the power should flow through its lowest echelons.
Statistics show that India has a huge advantage over any other country in the world due to its young population. 50% of the population is under 25 years of age and over 65% under the age of 35. India is expected to add 241 million people to its working age population in the next 20 years. But these are merely numbers and statistics on their own rarely account for anything. Unless appropriate opportunities of employment and livelihood are provided, this youth bubble could very well implode under its own weight. This is exactly where one can see the clear difference between the India of the past and the India of today. The youth of India know what they rightfully deserve and are not afraid to demand it. This was clearly visible from the recent mass anticorruption moment that the country witnessed. At the same time they are impatient enough to bring about change through our own actions. The examples are galore in all corners of the country where people have used enthusiasm, calculated risk taking and innovation to tackle complicated problems with astonishing success.
Agriculture, the foundation of any self sustaining nation is witnessing a transformation with young entrepreneurs stepping in. For example, Rahul Gal after finishing his education in Australia returned to his native village and deployed computerized systems to help farmers grow export quality dates in otherwise barren Kutch. Similarly Rikin Gandhi, an engineer from MIT, USA founded the Digital Green Company for creating awareness about efficient farming methods and has already covered 1200 villages in several states. Another entrepreneur, Santosh Oswal developed a mobile motor pump gadget for farmers and has already benefited more than 7000 farmers across India. Two students, Gyanesh Pandey and Manoj Sinha are providing clean energy to more than 10,000 villagers in rural UP by generating electricity through gasification of risk husks.
Mahatma Gandhi said “A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats the weakest members of its society”. Standing true to this statement, Abhishek Bharadwaj created Alternative Realities that works towards raising awareness and addresses the needs of Mumbai’s 1,00,000 odd homeless people. Robin Chaurasiya provided girls who were victims of sexual trafficking with a home and an opportunity to work and learn. Kranti is an organization which is run by rehabilitated girls themselves and allows them to realize their full potential. Similarly Gautam Gupta started AAWAJ that mobilizes the community against any complains of violence against women and girls and provides legal help to victims through its more than 100 youth members and 18 legal teams. To counter the problem of drug addiction among youth in Manipur, Vikram Laishram founded the Better Treatment Equals Better Life Foundation. The whole programme is developed entirely by 300 members who are recovering drug users themselves.
To ensure that India keeps growing beyond the current generation, it is necessary to ensure that all children avail education. To address the lack of an effective education system for children from all strata of the society as well interiors of the country a unique systems need to be developed. To address these issues Deepika Singh launched Udaan, an initiative that has allowed 12000 students access to primary education till date. Jitin Nedumala and his two friends launched Make a Difference foundation which recruits college students to teach Cambridge University English curriculum part time to children who have no access to proper education thereby hugely increasing their chances of getting employed later. Arundhuti Gupta took this a step further by providing qualified mentors to disadvantages students to help them develop multiple skills through her Mentor Together initiative.
These are but a handful of examples from the multitude of young individuals who have quit lucrative jobs and potential corporate careers and are striving to make a difference. Indian youth isn’t merely the IT savvy club hopping type anymore that is portrayed in the media but it is these individuals who are empowering not only other individuals but entire communities and helping them find their own lasting solutions. These young Indians are not merely complaining or shying away from responsibility anymore but are changing and even creating a new system from ground up. The India that they are building is one which is self-sustaining, resilient and strong from within. They are the real power behind the superpower that is India.
Submitted By :Neel Jadhav
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