Titan Industries 'Paradox Panel' Think Tank - Youth in India

I was in the panel at Titan Industries 'Paradox Panel' Think Tank discussion yesterday.


Here's a report published in the faqs:

Titan Industries today unveiled the ‘Paradox Panel’, a discussion forum designed to research, debate and develop insights into India’s 21-35 year-old communities – the so-called ‘millennial’ generation. The inaugural white paper published by the panel, The Millennial Paradox and the Age of Collective Individualism, highlights this demographic group’s obsession with self-expression, individual choice and personal opinion, while at the same time exhibiting an unprecedented desire to share and belong to some form of community, both in the professional and personal context. The analysis has been compiled by an array of experts representing the fields of research, marketing, advertising and academia and is designed to stimulate discussion, debate and further insight.

To mark Titan Industries’ 25th anniversary, the Paradox Panel will be exploring the implications of the Millennial Paradox on India’s youth in terms of their consumer behaviour, family and relationships, professional lives and careers, and leisure. Throughout the year, these insights will be published in subsequent Titan Industries’ Millennial Paradox Quarterlies.

S Ravi Kant, CEO, Eyewear Business & Executive Vice President Corporate Communications at Titan Industries, described the inaugural Millennium Paradox Quarterly as a compelling insight into the motivations, perspectives and behaviour of India’s 21-34 year-olds. “Our esteemed panellists have neatly captured how individualism has become the new convention, and from where and whom this generation of India’s population are finding endorsement, validation and meaning,” he said.

“Titan Industries’ 25th anniversary represents an important milestone for us and the perfect opportunity to analyse how India’s own 25 year-olds see the world. We are actively looking forward to debating and discussing all aspects of our inaugural white paper, from the workings of ‘collective individualism’ to the ‘millennial paradox’ concept itself. Let the debate commence!” concluded Mr Kant.

Titan Industries’ Paradox Panel

- Aditya Swamy – Executive Vice President, MTV India

With an MBA in Marketing from S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research, Aditya started his career with Coca-Cola and moved on to the entertainment industry in 2006. He has helped MTV to convert into a multiplatform entertainment destination. Today, MTV reaches out to over 130 million people on TV, has the largest social media connect with over 8 million fans on Facebook & Twitter; and has over 2 million views a month for its mobile TV service.

- Dr. Bino Paul – Professor and Chairperson, Tata Institute of Social Sciences

Dr Bino Paul GD is Professor at the Centre for Human Resources Management and Labour Relations at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. He has a doctoral degree in Economics from IIT Bombay and affiliated with the Centre for Human Resources Management and Labour Relations, Innovation and Research Facilities: Labour Market Research Facility and the School of Management and Labour Studies. 

- Kaustav Sengupta – Associate Professor at National Institute of Fashion Technology

Kaustav is a well-known youth trend analyst, alternative media expert and a fashion theorist. He heads a research & direction team of young Indians which is organically growing and now has a network of more than 1,500 young trend-spotters across India. This initiative called INgene, is the first ever youth trend research initiative in India recognized by many international experts as the best source for youth trend insights in India. He is also representing PYMCA (www.pymca.com, the largest online archive of youth culture) in south east Asia; along with other honorary associations (Local advisor of TED, NeN NIT Trichy, IIT M etc.)

- Sam Ahmed – Vice Chairman and Creative Director, Rediffusion India

Sam Ahmed is one of the biggest creative names in the world of advertising and is currently Vice Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of Rediffusion. He is one of the world’s most awarded creative people. Sam has spent 14 years at Y & R, Dubai where he was credited with making Y&R the No. 1 agency in Dubai in creative rankings. Over the years, Sam has won more than 200 international awards including the Cannes Lions, One Show, Clio, New York Festival, Epica among others.

confession pages- an unique way of expression among the youth

In a country, where any unintentional comment in Social network can land you in Jail what else is the best possible way to express oneself, other than an anonymous confession? I can see a transparent generation growing amid the nameless confession who dares to express what they feel. The wonderful youth of India finds their ways to express even if govt. and grey hairs tend to gag them through laws. From closed group discussion in facebook, google doc share to coded texts and sign languages the youth invents various ways to sideline mainstream media / govt. gagging.

 
Here’s a report from The Hindu on the recent surge of Confession pages in Facebook:

“Confession pages are distracting. I log onto Facebook every two minutes only to read these hilarious confessions,” read Aadhya Sharma’s status on Facebook. Aadhya’s examinations are in a week’s time. But every-minute updates on her college confession page have made it difficult for her to focus on her studies. Like Aadhya, there are many others for whom college confession pages have become a great source of mindless entertainment.

 

ANONYMITY

Confession pages is the most recent trend among college students on Facebook. Started as a portal to confess anything anonymously, a lot of these pages now have begun posting derogatory comments about peers, professors and institutions. The confessions range from college students posting about their professors to students poking fun at their classmates by commenting on their attire and body language. Students have also used confession pages to confess their ‘love’ for fellow classmates. Interestingly, confession pages of many premier engineering institutions, including the IITs have become just another dating portal.

 

One of the posts on a Mumbai-based college confessions portal read, “I like this girl but then I was going through her photographs and her mom is hotter! lol Can't help it, will have to propose her only.” Another comment read: “Why do these chicks put on so much make-up and wear heels to college? I come to college with slippers and loose t-shirt's. And, I just look at them, and think wth? /:”

The idea behind confession pages was unclear. “Although confession pages may have started off as an attempt at fraternising, they have now become indicators of the skewed priorities of young students. They showcase the poor language skills, an unhealthy focus on appearance and a tendency to take shelter in cliques,” said Malathi Jogi, student of Economics in Jai Hind College.

Less than a week after Facebook experienced a surge of college confession pages, several troll pages came up with numerous memes countering content which went viral. Many students were both irritated and distracted. Something had obviously gone wrong.

Many college students do not endorse the idea of confession pages. Initially, it may have started off for having a good time, but eventually students began posting nasty comments. Unnati Maharudra, a journalism student, believes that it may not be right to curb the freedom of expression. However, a certain level of decency in language must be ensured. “Students are using these pages as just another portal to target others they may not like. Thus, comments on looks, clothes, personality have become common,” she said.

Yet, there are a significant number of other students who really do not care about what goes up on such pages. “It doesn’t make a difference to our lives when others are busy talking out loud about classmates. It is just another amusement,” said Arunima Joshua.

 

LEGAL MEASURES

While the anonymity available here no doubt encourages and enables people to express with candour, the flip side cannot be ignored. “We have seen too often that anonymity becomes a front and a reason for using invective. Sexist comments, misogynist statements, harassment, bullying, intrusions into privacy — these aren’t unlikely fallouts. Such actions have the potential to end up on the wrong side of the law, especially the IT Act. Section 66 A, though antediluvian in many aspects, becomes an efficient tool for checking such abuse. Section 66E, dealing with violations of privacy and electronic transmission of obscene materials and pictures, can also be enforced,” said Saurav Datta, professor of Media Law in KC College.

With students poking fun at each other, it is extremely important to maintain the critical dividing line between expression and expletive.

Experiential Generation : Youth in India (a sneak peek from my forthcoming book)

Ever worried why youth are shuffling between brands so frequently and the obvious cry that this generation is “not loyal”? Tiered of their low attention span?...  the critiques jumping in conclusion that youth are not ‘serious’ cause they ends up any potential revolution with ‘nothing’ and suddenly shifts their attention to ‘something else’ (ie. The sudden hibernation of anti -corruption movement, anti -rape protests etc.)…  confused, why they shifts their jobs so often?

Here’s one reason that might answer few concerns. This generation of Millennial (born after 1980) are basically an Experiential generation who seeks ‘experiences’ from anything and everything. Maslow’s higherarchy of need no more remains valid! The need shifts to having the ‘feel’ of it, rather than ‘be loyal to it / doing it in long term’. The experience of ‘being right there’ and ‘having it at the right moment’ matters most. The phases of experience are depicted below.  

 

The overflow of opportunities to gain experience/ information/ intimation/ clues etc. (which can be as simple as ‘sharing a cup of coffee with a date’, ‘shaking hand with xxx’, ‘gathering likes in facebook’, wearing a brand till the peers utter ‘ah that’s so zombie’ or just a new app to download) makes it easy to select the best and then ‘experience it’  ( to have a voyeuristic overview while others are using / doing it, doing it oneself...experience it, actually and then have a post experiencial hangover to talk/criticize/ relish)  to shuffle again for the newest one… this cycle of experiences not only implies to product usability but also in their lifestyle, relationship, AIOs and peer clusters.

Tzinga vs. Red Bull – Understanding local youth

Have you ever heard the name of an energy drink Tzinga? Am sure, you will take time to recollect.  It’s neither the Red Bull nor any international brand with global market share. This Indian energy drink brand’s parent company is called Hector Beverages, after Hector of Troy from Greek mythology, who walked out to battle Achilles, considered a superior fighter. But how can a local brand stands in front of Red Bull? Last year, RedBull posted $5.2 billion in sales and about $800 million in profits, growing 11 per cent during one of the worst slowdowns in global history. In India, Red Bull is the undisputed champ, accounting for about 80 per cent of sales in a Rs 350-500-crore energy drink market that is growing at about 25 per cent annually, according to industry experts.

But, within merely two years of opening a factory and launching the product, Tzinga is a ubiquitous presence in the fridges of kirana stores in urban India, churning out about a million of its utilitarian pouches a month from its Gurgaon factory. It supplies about 45,000 outlets in 45 cities across 22 states. Kakkar says Tzinga is a clear leader in markets such as Bangalore, Hyderabad, Goa and the Northeast, but lags Red Bull in Pune and Mumbai. Tzinga has a clear edge in pricing: Rs 25 for a funky, 200-ml pouch, against Rs 85-100 charged by the competition. Moreover, it’s packaging is flexible and much cheaper than the cans.

The real edge of the brand came with it’s local understanding of the ‘need’.  The need of mass India (which constitutes 97% of Indian population) and their natural expectation from an energy drink. When Red Bull is targeting merely 3% pf population with it’s glam stunt oriented ‘ Red Bull gives you wings’ Tzinga is waving towards the rest!

The priority of life for ‘Indians’ and ‘Bharatiyas’ (2 psychographic segments that covers 97% of youth population in India) are to ‘study well’ and build a ‘great career’. The education is not only necessary to uplift the economic status but also to gain better social status and peers. A family’s second largest spent go’s to ‘education’ immediately after food. So, Tzinga, is portraying their energy drink as energizer to remain ‘charged’ while at study (late night, as usual). Unlike Red Bull, Tzinga doesn’t want to appear ‘cool’.

Here’s the ad:

Recently, a few energy drink companies in the US were caught in a maelstrom of controversy. 5-hour ENERGY, a caffeine-saturated ‘shot’ that comes in a bottle a little bigger than your thumb and one that made monk-turned-entrepreneur Manoj Bhargava vault onto the Forbes list of billionaires, has been linked to the deaths of people with heart problems due to caffeine toxicity, though nothing has been conclusively proven. Ditto for Red Bull competitor Monster Energy. Both companies have staunchly denied these allegations.

Meanwhile, the knives are already out for energy drinks in India. A recent survey by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India states 71 per cent of adolescents in urban centres of India consume energy drinks, often leading to seizures, diabetic hazards, cardiac abnormalities and behavioural disorders. With its brand primarily catering to a hip, young image, as depicted on its website, Tzinga needs to ensure it doesn’t find itself in the line of fire if its products are used inappropriately.

Then, there is the spectre of a brand with deep pockets capsizing a newbie. The Indian landscape for energy drinks is fast getting crowded. Six months ago, Coca-Cola had launched its energy drink Burn. Other energy brands trying to jostle for space are PepsiCo’s Sobe, Power Horse and Goldwin Healthcare’s Cloud 9. Cunningly entwining energy drinks subconsciously with sex are JMJ Group’s XXX, as well as the recently-launched KS E, from the stables of Raymond’s Kamasutra brand. However, the real monster in the cupboard is, well, Monster. The Rahul Narang group has been in negotiations to bring the US brand to India. After its 2002 launch in the US, decades after Red Bull, the brand has already grabbed 29 per cent market share. There’s no saying what could happen if it decides to take a plunge into the Indian market with serious intent.

Recently, XXX introduced porno star Sunny Leone as their brand ambassador! Another effort to lure "Indians and Bharatiyas" to drink XXX energy drink.

 

 

For now, though, Tzinga is the flavor to beat, not just for its undeniable value proposition in a Rs 25 (Half a Dollar) energy drink, but also for its daring, infectious earnestness and down-to-earth values.

Media propagated blown-up visual culture and changing aspirations among youth in India

The Visual culture in India was never being flooded with such a huge influx of “blown up’ (larger than life) images, apart from silverscreen posters, political cutouts and religious banners.

                               (Larger than life, political idols)

                               (Silverscreen blown-up cutout)

 At the entry level, the blown up banners / outdoor displayes were majorly related to consumer goods, but unfortunately its now spreading even in the segments of gastronomic offering! In a country where more than half of the population is below poverty line, the ‘blown up’ images of food (majority of them are fastfood advertisements) can become a point of frustration, hence ending up with crime and class-clash across the urban and rural India.

 The multilayered multifaceted slow economic growth among Indian rural population is continuously challenged with blown out images of burger, coffee/ beverages and various other fast food. The recent blown up images of McEGG are propagating the youth into larger than life aspiration and a state of duality (real vs. blown up / made up). Imagine, a burger that is just in the size of a palm is blown up billion times (out of proportion) to lure the Gen Next into a paradoxical scenario where practically, they knows a burger can’t be that big but aspires one that looks so beautiful and delicious at a throw away price (Rs.25)!

(the Mc.EGG banner)

In social scenario, this trait can have deeper implications. The smaller tasks like washing hands  to clean can be blown out of proportion and bring in imagination of a giant! A giant to kill invisible germs and just to help washing hands (no big task, actually) !!

(Lifebuoy Coloring Handwash ad)

The ‘out of proportion’ imaginary can make this over influenced over informed and media-attacked generation more dependable on illusive giants (read brands) for execution of simple tasks (ie. hand wash to simple very small egg burger)! A dangerous trait that needs to be reviewed and observed regularly for social good.

Jewellery macro trends in India 2014 - (included precious Jewels global direction)

Jewellery macro trends in india 2014 - (included precious Jewels global direction) from Kaustav Sengupta

Youth trend report : INsightYOUng 2014 - Whats Up yaar

I nsight young 2014 from Kaustav Sengupta

Obesity : an Indian context

A recent survey by Madras Medical College of 5,097 students in classes XI and XII in schools run by Chennai Corporation, found that more than 10 per cent of the children were obese and over nine per cent, hypertensive. While 250 students (184 girls) were obese and 510 students were overweight, it was found that among them, 530 students (492 girls) were centrally obese, with a waist circumference over normal limits. The report also stated that over 40 per cent avoid vegetables every day, and nearly 90 per cent of them eat no fruits. The students were also found to consume sugary beverages (soft drinks) twice a week and around 35 per cent of them watch television for more than two hours a day — making their lifestyles somewhat unhealthy.

In another report, it was observed that for every 10 Bangaloreans, four are obese! The IT capital is just a spot behind another growing metropolitan city of the South -Kochi ---- when it comes to obesity. A recently compiled survey by market research firm AC Nielsen has put Kochi at number 1 in India with 46% incidence of obesity and Bangalore close behind at No.2 with 43% incidence. The all-India survey was conducted on 30 million people. As for the other two South cities, Chennai scored 38% while Hyderabad 30% incidence of obesity.

"Basically, the sudden urbanization of the two-tier cities, transformation to metros and altered lifestyle are to be blamed for increasing obesity. People prefer to use transport over walking small distance and eat junk food. There is no time to exercise because of hectic work schedules. All this has multiplied into increasing obesity in growing south Indian cities like Kochi and Bangalore," said Dr M Ramesh, bariatric and diabetic surgeon, Vikram Hospital.

Working in different shifts and almost round-the-clock, which is prevalent in IT sector and call centres, not eating on time and less physical activity are being blamed for increasing obesity amongst Bangaloreans. The survey found that 71% Bangaloreans preferred eating fried and fatty food while 43% preferred eating junk food like pizzas and burgers over healthy diet. Compared to Bangalore, 53% in Chennai, 67% in Hyderabad and 59% in Kochi preferred eating fried and fatty food, while 8% in Chennai, 38% in Hyderabad and 25% in Kochi preferred junk food.
It is also said that 22% of those surveyed did not do or never intend to do anything to control their increasing weight. 33% in Chennai, 15% in Hyderabad and 17% in Kochi said that they did nor or never intend to do anything to control their increasing weight.

Indian gene is also said to be one of the causes. Said Dr Nandakishore Dukkipati, bariatric surgeon and MD, Livelife Hospitals, Hyderabad: "Obesity is a multifactorial disorder. Besides lifestyle changes, the genetic structure also plays a role in increasing obesity. Indian and most of Asia-Pacific population have mutation of MC4R genes, which essentially increases the risk of putting of extra weight around the waistline and thereby leading to obesity."

36% Bangaloreans eat out once a week. The two IT cities of South have higher frequency when it comes to eating out. While 36% of Bangaloreans said that they eat out at least once a week, it is 17% in Hyderabad. While 6% in Bangalore said that they eat out every day, the figure is 14% for Hyderabad. In Chennai, 0% people surveyed said that they eat out every day, while in Kochi it is 10%.
Dr HV Shivaram, chief of gastrointestinal and bariatric surgery, Columbia Asia Hospitals, said: "Obesity is directly related to behavioural and environmental factors. Eating out falls under behavioural pattern. Today, food is readily available by simply making a phone call and at affordable rate. Outside food is rich in oil, fats and calories, which increases weight. Eating out for a long period of time can increase the risk of obesity and lead to many complementary diseases. Physical activity is a must."

 In a report, last year (2011) it was stated that an alarming 70 per cent of India's urban young population (24 to 39 years) in the obese or overweight category. And, at risk is the generation that Facebooks rather than go over to meet friends, bonds over gaming sessions on Playstations or X-boxes rather than play cricket or badminton, the study warns. The national capital faces the ignominy of being the obesity capital of the country, while Chandigarh shares the top spot with Delhi. Why urban India? Experts suggest obesity has to do with the lifestyle of the majority of the population in urban India. The urban populace has easy access to high-calorie packaged foods such as burgers, chips and colas. Moreover, people in cities follow a sedentary lifestyle. Little or no physical activity and a predilection for gizmos such as video games, computers are to blame.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/urban-indian-youth-obesity-study/1/157508.html

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/urban-indian-youth-obesity-study/1/157508.html

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/urban-indian-youth-obesity-study/1/157508.html

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/urban-indian-youth-obesity-study/1/157508.html

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/urban-indian-youth-obesity-study/1/157508.htmlin the obese or overweight category. And, at risk is the generation that Facebooks rather than go over to meet friends, bonds over gaming sessions on Playstations or X-boxes rather than play cricket or badminton, the study warns. The national capital faces the ignominy of being the obesity capital of the country, while Chandigarh shares the top spot with Delhi. Why urban India? Experts suggest obesity has to do with the lifestyle of the majority of the population in urban India. The urban populace has easy access to high-calorie packaged foods such as burgers, chips and colas.Moreover, people in cities follow a sedentary lifestyle. Little or no physical activity and a predilection for gizmos such as video games, computers are to blameThe study which suggested that 70 per cent urban Indians are fat or overweight was conducted on 46,000 people who had internet access. Increase in the sale of cigarettes and alcohol consumption does not help either.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/urban-indian-youth-obesity-study/1/157508.html

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/urban-indian-youth-obesity-study/1/157508.html

Interestingly, I have observed that obesity is perceived to be “healthy’ in Indian context! In socio-psychological aspect, the ‘curves and rounds’(irrespective of gender) becomes a sign of ‘wealth and good health”. In Hindi, the over curved body suggests the individual is from “khate pite ghar’ (from a well to do family).
If you have a look at Hindu gods (shown below) , you will understand that obesity is a part of our social recognition to appear ‘wealthy’!

Not only in human body, a ‘obese looking car’ (ie. Mahindra XUV = xuv sounds as XXL / Extra large) is also considered as ‘good design’ and hence remains in higher demand. The individuals buy this car to show off their wealth in respect of volume.

Hence, the real change to avoid obesity needs to take place in social perception of being wealthy. The tendency among parents to overfeed their baby initiates the initial trait of being obese.


News reference: The Hindu, Time of India, India Today

the 'game plan' to recruit B school graduates - Youth in india

due to inscreasing number of B school graduates, the companies are developing competitive mode to select the best, resulting another stressful environment for the students that they dream to avoid by choosing MBA (management) courses thinking that the path will be less competitive, in a country of billions.

here's an article :

Students graduating from business schools know the summer vacation that follows is anything but a holiday. It is placement season, when they must gear up to meet prospective employers. And companies visiting campuses are increasingly using competitions to recruit the best among them.
Take Mahindra & Mahindra, for instance. Since 2009, it has had a competition platform called 'War Room' which holds contests of job aspirants. These allow students with different specialisations to work on strategy solutions to real-life problems the group companies face.

"This is a very good way for us to source talent as we are able to gauge the candidates in an in-depth way," says Rajiv Dubey, HR Head at M&M. "It is not a substitute for other methods of campus recruitment but complements them."

Five of the many students who participated in last year's War Room are now part of the company's management training programme.

Vipul Manglik, 26, who pursued an MBA from Management Development Institute (MDI) Gurgaon, has joined a management training programme at Bharti Airtel and will be assigned a permanent role in January. Manglik was a runner-up at iCreate, a competition platform organised by Airtel.

"I was offered a per-placement interview with the company after my team won. This put me a big step ahead of my batchmates," he says.

Competing alongside more than 300 teams from India's top 15 B-schools, Manglik's three-member team worked on one of four case studies assigned by Airtel. In this case too, all four studies related to actual problems faced by the company. Manglik's team had to find a way to increase Airtel's 'Green SIM' service penetration in rural areas. Through this SMS and call service intended for farmers, registered subscribers get region-wise information on pesticides, crops and how to increase farmland production.


The project was extensive and required secondary research, as well as field visits to Haryana's Rewari district, about 60 km from the MDI campus. Manglik's team observed business transactions between farmers, vendors and middlemen at the local mandis and was able to draw connections between what they saw and heard and concepts they had read about. Their final proposal involved setting up a platform to bring vendors and farmers together.

"While the competition was launched in 2009, we started awarding students the pre-placement interview offers only from last year," says Krish Shankar, Executive Director, HR, Bharti Airtel. "We selected two students in this way." Manglik was one of them.

Many other companies have joined the fray, including PepsiCo India, whose platform - named after its global CEO, India-born Indra Nooyi - is called 'Become Indra's Advisors'. This is a new, trendy means companies have found to create a brand for themselves in colleges and hire quality talent, says MDI professor Kamal Kapil.

"While such platforms have been around for more than a decade, it is only now that this trend is catching on in recruitment," he adds.

So while companies use competitions to pick and implement new ideas proposed by the students and keep an eye on the potentials, students see them as a great opportunity to network with industry professionals, gain valuable insights and, of course, get job offers. It is a win-win situation for both.


News source : Business Today. © 2012. LMIL.

Youth & Unemployment in India

Youth unemployment remains high in India, and it hasn’t been helped by the global crisis. The latest World Development Report by the World Bank says India’s youth unemployment — as a percentage of the youth work force — was 9.9% for males and 11.3% for females in 2010. In 1985, the figures were 8.3% and 8%, respectively. Youth unemployment in India, like most countries, has consistently been above the national average. But of late, the data indicate rising youth unemployment, now virtually 50% more than the national average, or total unemployment rate.
The National Sample Survey Organisation found that India’s unemployment rate fell to 6.6% in 2009-10 from 8.2% in 2004-05. The general perception is that unemployment in India is high, but the actual numbers seem reasonable. That’s because self-employment accounts for about 60% of India’s employed population.
Given the lack of viable employment opportunities, a large number of Indians opt for self-employment. And a big chunk of this includes low-paying activities like hawking magazines and flowers at traffic signals. Casual workers — who get jobs at times and remain unpaid at other times — account for 30%, while only 10% of the working population are regular employees. Given the scarcity of opportunities, higher youth unemployment shouldn’t come as a surprise.

But rising youth unemployment in a country that is expected to reap the demographic dividend is a concern. The latest NSSO survey shows there has been a drop in the labor force participation rates – as in, those who are willing to work – among the youth. Many young people are delaying their entry into the workforce, partly because they are extending their years of education. This at least is positive as it indicates a higher degree of skill formation in the young laborforce.
The desire to acquire better skills is reflected in a substantial spurt in education loans in India. Reserve Bank of India data show that outstanding educational loans (in the personal loan category) more than doubled in the past four years. And a growing number of educational loans are turning into non-performing assets, particularly in the last few years. According to the Indian Banks’ Association, education loan NPA accounted for 6% of outstanding education loans as of March 2012, sharply up from 2% in March 2008. The spurt in defaults can to a large extent be attributed to the difficult employment environment in India, especially for students looking to enter the job market as the economy slows.

The rising demand for education clearly shows that young people are looking to move away from menial and low paying work to jobs that require comparatively higher skill sets. When distinguishing between levels of literacy and youth unemployment, various NSSO surveys reveal one common thread: Unemployment is lowest among the illiterate population. That’s because this segment is more willing to work as laborers and in low paid menial jobs.  Not surprisingly, youth unemployment is the highest among young graduates, which is a clear indication of the lack of employment opportunities for educated youth.

Although India’s manufacturing and service sectors have been growing faster than agriculture for many years, they failed to wean people from agriculture at the necessary pace, leading to lopsided employment distribution. As of 2007, just over 50% of total employment in India was associated with agriculture, while industry accounted for around 20% and services 30%.

The number of people still engaged in agriculture in India doesn’t compare too favourably with its emerging market peers. To raise industry’s contribution to GDP and move the disproportionately large number of people engaged in agriculture to industry requires a greater focus on manufacturing. It also requires reforms in the labor market, greater transparency in land acquisition and realistic environmental policies, as well as availability of quality education. It would be easier to move people from agriculture to industry through appropriate skill development programs, rather than to the service sector directly.

The challenge for the government is to ensure that appropriate policies are framed and meticulously implemented to meet the future aspirations of India’s youth. The adverse impact of the global crisis sends out a strong message. India has its work cut out.

Source : http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2012/11/23/young-jobless-and-indian/ 

Children in India are more interested in saving the envornment- Childfund study

While the prior study by INgene (in 2008 ans 2011) among youth (17 to 23years) enlighted us that the eco friendliness is till a 'fakoconsciousness', kind a 'eco cool' but the recent study among the chindren (10- to 12-year-olds) by Childfund brought is much brighter picture.

Here's the report :

Indian children are more interested in protecting the environment from ill-effects of climate change than their counterparts the world over and are concerned about lack of proper sanitation and drinking water, according to a global survey on children's hopes and fears.

The survey on the hopes, aspirations and fears of the future generation also found out that children are "deeply concerned" about pollution and other environmental hazards, with more than a quarter of children in India wishing to make a difference through planting more trees.

The survey conducted on 6,200 (10- to 12-year-olds) children in 47 countries by ChildFund said 27 percent of Indian children, more than the global average of 22 per cent, are interested in contributing to environment by planting more saplings.

The third annual Small Voices, Big Dreams global survey, commissioned by the ChildFund Alliance and compiled by GfK Roper, found that 10- to 12-year-olds from Africa, Asia and the Americas put an overwhelming emphasis on their schooling, have lofty aspirations for their future and have personally experienced such natural disasters as drought, flood or fire.

"While one-third of children around the world cited pollution as the environmental problem they worry most about, 21 percent Indian kids said lack of sanitation worries them the most, followed by pollution (17 percent), lack of drinking water (14 percent) and deforestation (11 percent)," said the survey.

 “The Small Voices, Big Dreams survey is an ambitious, comprehensive undertaking, carried out largely on a one-on-one basis with children in literally every corner of the globe,” said Anne Lynam Goddard, president and CEO of ChildFund International, which is a member of the Alliance. “Although often overlooked and discounted, theirs are important voices. Their perspectives not only help validate the work we are doing on a community level, but also guide us in ways that can enhance our capacity to help improve the lives of children in a self-sustaining way. While this survey is global in nature, the findings provide value on a very human level.” This year, children were surveyed about their hopes, dreams and fears, as well as their thoughts on the environment.

Dola Mohapatra, National Director of ChildFund India, said the results suggest that Indian children are not very happy with the environment which they have inherited from us.

Consistent with their emphasis on education, a majority of children in developing countries, when asked what they wanted to be when they grew up, responded with professions that require a college education, with doctor (27%) and teacher (24%) as the top answers.

For the first time, this year's survey included some questions related to the environment. While the survey found that at least one in three children from developing countries has experienced drought (40%), flood (33%) or forest/bush fire (30%), their biggest ecological concern was not a natural disaster but the growing threat of pollution to the environment. One in four children (26%) cited various forms of pollution as the environmental problem they worry about most, edging natural disasters, named by 23 percent of children in developing countries. One in three children (33%) in developed countries singled out pollution as their most-pressing environmental concern.

When asked what one thing they would do to change the environment around their community, 28 percent of children in developing nations said they would plant more trees and build more parks. A similar number (29%) of children in developed countries said their top priority would be to reduce or stop littering.
As for their fears, the top answer among children in both developing (29%) and developed (21%) countries was the same: animals.

News Source : http://www.childfund.org 

Fairness syndrome : Indian socio psychology

As discussed earlier in this blog, the skin color is a symbolic representation of social strata, in India. Not only while selecting the brides but also during the selection of surrogated mothers! According to researchers surrogate mothers still face discrimination over their caste, skin colour and attractiveness despite the fact that the foetus they carry has none of their own genetic material.

The survey by the women's health charity SAMA, carried out in-depth interviews with surrogate mothers, agents who commission them on behalf of couples suffering fertility problems, and gynaecologists.

They found that couples commonly insisted that the woman who carries their child should be beautiful, from their own or similar caste, and have fair skin – similar requirements to those expressed in India's notorious newspaper advertisements for brides and grooms.

"Parents want someone from the same background in terms of caste and religion. When they are asked 'how does it matter?' they don't explain but they are willing to pay extra – up to one lakh rupees (£1,155) more. It's caste or religious prejudice and notional ideas or what is acceptable and unacceptable," said Deepa, programme coordinator at SAMA.

She said that while the surrogate mother merely gestates the foetus and does not contribute any of her own DNA to it, commissioning parents still think of her as a mother who contributes her "body and blood" to nourishing their child. For caste conscious Hindus this could be regarded as 'caste pollution.'

Dr Naina Patel, who runs one of India's most successful fertility clinics in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, said she does receive requests for surrogates to be of specific castes or religions, but once parents understand the surrogate's background will not influence the appearance of their child they usually accept any healthy and stable woman.

The fairness syndrome in India is age old and embedded in the social system via 300 years of colonial rule. The apathy of ‘fair is better’ reflects Indian diasporas of social system.  

Malala effect : Stand up together for the cause (youth in South East Asia)

 

After centuries of suppression using animalistic force the Talibans are literally cornered now by a teenager and her passion for education. The Hindu newpaper reported it as below :

When gun-toting men stopped their school wagon in Mingora last Tuesday around 12.45 p.m. asking for Malala Yousafzai, none of the three girls inside spoke. This, despite the terrorists threatening to shoot all of them if they did not identify Malala. Today, stirred by the braveheart, who dared to stand up to the Taliban, and her friends, Shazia and Kainat, who refused to identify her even under threat, girls across Pakistan are saying ‘I am Malala.’ This is happening not just on the social media – which offers a degree of anonymity and security – but also on television and on the streets; some with their faces uncovered. ‘I-am-Malala’ has been trending not just in Pakistan but also in Afghanistan where girls’ education is equally at risk from the very same elements.

On Saturday, the Afghanistan Education Ministry organised a nationwide prayer for her at schools. She is being likened to ‘Malalai of Maiwand,’ the ‘Afghan Joan of Arc’ who rallied the Pashtun army against the British in 1880.

 

In an echo of the Pakistan People’s Party pet slogan kitne Bhutto maroge, har ghar se Bhutto niklega (how many Bhuttos will you kill, every house will produce one), the refrain across the country is “how many Malalas will you kill?’’ As daily vigils are being organised to pray for the speedy recovery of Malala and her friends, girls were coming forward; willing to stand up and be counted. Her classmate from the Khushal Public School in Mingora, asserted: “Every girl in Swat is Malala. We will educate ourselves. We will win. They can’t defeat us.’’ If anything, the fate of Malala – who came to represent the ‘voice of the girls of Swat’ because of her blog, written under the pseudonym Gul Makai, in which she advocated girls’ right to education during the Taliban reign of terror over Swat – has made the media a bit circumspect about exposing the girls too much for fear that the terrorists might target them, too. Still, at vigils and demonstrations, children are turning up in considerable numbers; a rare sight in Pakistan where crowds are avoided given the impunity with which terrorists penetrate. Even in Peshawar – where there are indications of various terrorist outfits regrouping and mobilising after a brief lull – girls are coming out in support of Malala; fearing that silence is no longer an option.

Interestingly, The wave of protest is surging in this side of border too. The fresh protests are seen in Bhopal (India) and other places. Victims and survivors of the Bhopal gas tragedy have extended their support to Pakistani teenager Malala Yousufzai who has stood up for women’s education. “We salute the young lady and the brave front she put up against extremist elements. We pray for her well-being and hope she recovers soon,” said Abdul Jabbar, a gas victim and convener of the Sangathan.

 

(protests in Bhopal, India)

Aged vs Young : population in India

A country which is becoming younger also has a large number of aged people. By 2050, India will be home to one out of every six of the world’s older persons, and only China will have a larger number of elderly people, according to estimates released by the United Nations Population Fund.

Here’s a report published at The Hindu newspaper:

Thirty years ago, there were no “aged economies,” in which consumption by older people surpassed that of youth. In 2010, there were 23 aged economies. By 2040, there will be 89.

Japan is today the only country with more than 30 per cent of its population aged 60 or above. By 2050, there will be 64 countries where older people make up more than 30 per cent of the population.  In simple terms, within a decade there will be one billion older persons worldwide. And by 2050, nearly 80 per cent of the world’s older persons will live in developing countries — with China and India contributing to over one-third that number.  

A report released by the United Nations Population Fund and HelpAge India to mark the International Day of Older Persons — observed on October 1 — suggests that India had 90 million elderly persons in 2011, with the number expected to grow to 173 million by 2026. Of the 90 million seniors, 30 million are living alone, and 90 per cent work for livelihood.
The report says the number of elderly women is more than that of elderly men. Nearly three out of five single older women are very poor, and two out of three rural elderly women are fully dependants. There is also an increasing proportion of elderly at 80-plus ages, and this pattern is more pronounced among women.

The study, undertaken in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Orissa, West Bengal, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh by HelpAge, suggests that one-fifth of the elderly live alone. This proportion has registered a sharp increase in the past two decades and is more evident in the case of elderly women.

The housing data from Census 2011 also point out that the number of households has increased substantially in the last decade, and the number of persons per household has come down substantially. Declining fertility, migration and nuclearisation of families are three possible reasons for such reduction in household size.

Across the States, there is a substantial variation in the type of living arrangement, particularly in the proportion of elderly persons living alone. The percentage of those living alone or with spouse is as high as 45 per cent in Tamil Nadu, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab and Kerala. This indicates that with a demographic transition under way and youth migrating out for economic reasons, there will be a drastic change in the living arrangements of the elderly in rural and urban areas. The large segment of the elderly, those living alone or with spouse only, and the widowed who are illiterate, poor and particularly those from the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe families, low wealth quintiles will definitely require various kinds of support: economic, social and psychological. These, at present, are woefully lacking.

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment put in place the National Policy on Older Persons in 1999 with a view to addressing issues relating to aging in a comprehensive manner. But the programme failed at the implementation level. The Ministry is now formulating a new policy that is expected to address the concerns of the elderly. The idea is to help them live a productive and dignified life. There is a scheme of grant-in-aid of the Integrated Programme for Older Persons, under which financial assistance is provided to voluntary organisations for running and maintaining projects. These include old-age homes, day-care centres and physiotherapy clinics. While the scheme, indeed the concept, is still alien to India, the Ministry is considering the revision of cost norms for these projects, keeping in view the rising cost of living.

The most recent intervention has been the introduction of the National Programme for Health Care for Elderly in 2010, with the basic aim to provide separate and specialised comprehensive health care to senior citizens. The major components of this programme are establishing geriatric departments in eight regional geriatric centres and strengthening health care facilities for the elderly at various levels in 100 districts. Though the scheme is proposed to be expanded during the Twelfth Five Year Plan, the regional geriatric centres are yet to take off because of lack of space in the identified institutions.

The enactment of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, was a legislative milestone. However, its implementation has been poor.

With poor social security arrangements for the elderly, it is not surprising that around 37 million elderly in India are engaged in productive work, according to NSSO data for 2004-05. A majority of these workers are illiterate or have limited levels of education. Half the women elderly workers are from the two poorest consumption quintiles. This indicates that illiteracy and poverty push them to undertake work outside as a survival strategy, or out of compulsion.