Hair styles @ politics

A few hairstyles@ political support
Source: The Hindu

Indian Youth and politics

Throwing shoes to the politicians is the latest trend, a way of "demonstrating frustration and anger" against the corrupted political system in India. what else an individual youth can do where corruption is inevitable!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Angry student throws shoe at India's prime minister

Sun, Apr 26 07:00 PM

A student threw a shoe at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during an election rally in Ahmedabad on Sunday after he was stopped from shouting at the veteran politician, police said.

The shoe landed in front of a dias, moments after Singh started to speak about the government's achievements in the last five years of power.

The man, identified as Hitesh Chauhan, a 21-year-old computer engineering student, was taken away by police, and detained for questioning, Abhay Chudasma, a senior police officer told Reuters.

"He was shouting that politicians were all liars, when he was stopped by supporters, resulting in the incident," Chudasma said. "We are questioning him and will release him after a while."

The incident was the latest episode of shoe-throwing as a mark of protest against political leaders. Other incidents involved former U.S. President George W. Bush and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

In India, angry people have thrown shoes and slippers at politicians contesting in the April/May general election. Fearful of such attacks by disgruntled voters, leaders have asked for more security and are erecting metal nets at rallies.

This month, a Sikh journalist hurled a shoe at India's home minister during a news conference in New Delhi after getting angry with the minister's reply to a question about 1984 riots.

A few days later, another man threw a slipper at Lal Krishna Advani, the prime ministerial candidate of the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, the main opposition party.

While criticising the incidents, Indian leaders have not taken any legal action against the offenders.

(Additional reporting by Bappa Majumdar)
Source: http://in.news.yahoo.com/137/20090426/386/ten-angry-student-throws-shoe-at-india-s.html

Education & career are the prime focus among Indian youth

Over a million to appear in engineering entrance test
Sat, Apr 25 07:04 PM

New Delhi, April 25 (IANS) Over one million students will be appearing in the All India Engineering Entrance Exam (AIEEE) Sunday seeking admission into engineering, architecture and other allied courses in government-aided institutes across India.

The three-hour examination will be conducted at 1,460 centres across the country. Last year, around 820,000 students appeared in the exam.

The AIEEE scores determine admissions to various national-level institutes including the National Institutes of Technology, Indian Institutes of Information Technology, deemed universities and other government-funded institutions.

Like last year's exam, experts are expecting a change in the pattern of questions again.

Aashish Choudhury of the Aakash Institutes, a chain of private coaching centres, said: 'Students were surprised last year when the pattern of questions changed. Instead of 120 questions, there were 35 in each of the physics, chemistry and mathematics section. The number of reasoning and comprehension questions was also more. This year too a change in the pattern is expected.'

Shiva Kumar, head of research and development academics, Career Launcher, said he expected the number of questions to fall further.

'The number of questions may come down further - in the 90-105 range. Fewer questions imply that at least half the questions in the three sections will be fairly easy to attempt. So the students should attempt as many of those (as they can) and not get stuck at the remaining ones,' Kumar advised.

Many students feel that a pattern change is easy to deal with if you are alert and fast.

Ritia Jain, who wants to get into an architecture course, said she was well prepared. 'I have done many practice papers. My strategy is to first tackle the easy questions and then get cracking at the tougher ones.'

Indo Asian News Service

Source:http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20090425/812/tnl-over-a-million-to-appear-in-engineer.html

Educated youth: The change agent in Indian politics

Photo source: The Hindu


The kind of fractious political environment that our disputatious leadership has created over the years in itself has become the biggest deterrent for any educated and equitably honest youth to take politics up as a scrupulously dignified career. In fact, over the years, the entire trenchant political environment has been constructed in such a discordant manner that it has managed to keep young, potently dedicated and benevolent youth away from it. If that is not the case, then how does one justify that almost 25 per cent of our Parliamentarians have criminal backgrounds!

Historically, though, this was not the case. Not that it was any better ever, but in the 1950s, the average age of Rajya Sabha members was around 50, which shot up to 59 by the turn of the century. And I’m sure by 2009 it would have gone up by a few more months. Similarly, the average age of the 13th Lok Sabha has been around 55 years! Here again, the average age has been on a constant rise. The average age during the first Lok Sabha was 46 years. The matter of fact is that Indian democracy has invariably posed a classical dichotomy with respect to Indian demographics. A nation wherein more than 70 per cent of the population is less than 40 years has a Parliament which houses 80 per cent of its politicians over the age of 70! Probably no other nation reflects such a stark irony – for example in the United Kingdom, there were only two Prime Ministers (Winston Churchill and James Callaghan) who crossed 70 while holding their office! But then it would be wrong to state that Indian Parliament is completely bereft of youth. In the 14th Lok Sabha, some 36 young debutant MPs got elected and bettered the average age factor for the Lok Sabha.

Had these 36 young MPs not been elected this time, I’m sure Lok Sabha would have been declared dead, statistically, as the average mortality rate of Indians is 64. But then, other than lowering the average age of the Lok Sabha, the young MPs did hardly anything to bring in any noteworthy political change for the people of this nation. And this ought to happen, for most of the young MPs who made it through had a political legacy behind them. And that is the reason, as per a PRS India report, that young MPs hardly participated in the Lok Sabha proceedings. Whereas on the other extreme, MPs above 70 years, accounting for 10 per cent of the House, participated in 10 per cent of total debates. The report also states that the average attendance of MPs in the 25-40 years age group, which was at 70 per cent, was the lowest. What’s even more unfortunate is that during the Budget Session, which lasts for 28 days and is of national imperative, the average attendance of the very same young MPs was a mere 62 per cent.

Though as a nation we might have succeeded in electing a few youths in the Parliament, it has been an act of mere tokenism. For neither do they seem to possess any zealously rousing vision, nor do they presumably poss any precipitously striking leadership skills, which is pretty evident from their spiritless attendance and incurious participation.

In fact, with the election having been declared and with almost all political parties creating all kind of noise about educated youth getting into mainstream politics, particularly post 26/11, I do not contemplate much to happen. At best, a few political parties might succeed in getting a few youth elected; but then that’s it. The delinquent problem lies in the fact that it is prohibitively impossible for any educated and erudite youth with the right vision and leadership skills to contest an election independently. For not only does it require considerable money, but on top of that, if someone has to get any closer to winning, then one has to necessarily be a part of existing political ideologies.
The real catalytic change can happen only when political parties in power have a pre-potently dynamic youth oriented perspective. They need to not just invigoratingly encourage educated youth to participate but they need to have a systematic selection and funding process. It is only then that there would be a true vitalising transformation in the political system that would pave a path for a fundamentally strong and prosperously efficacious democracy.

Source:http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=15750715

Why Indian youth are not interested in politics?

The Q&A sessions from different blogs and site depicts the view points from various youth:

"I am 17...so I think I might be able to give an apt answer (only my perspective though). Being young is often the age of being impatient. When somehting is too complicated to decipher, we tend to stay away from it. Indian politics has become a constant push and pull of religion, caste, corruption, and battles the 'youth' does not consider worth their time. The opposition opposes just for the heck of it, and meaningful governance seems to be losing its way,
I study political science as a subject and have done some in depth research on the Indian democracy. it's actually admirable once u really how difficult it actually is to govern such a complicated nation."

"Because politics is very dirty game. Today's youth is educated and just want a job at the place of doing politics."

"they have better things to do!"

Source: http://sawaal.ibibo.com/law/why-youth-not-focusing-on-indian-politics-508676.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"yes, it is possible for youth to get into Politics and there are already a few who have started. In fact, there is a political party formed by 3 IIT graduates in Northern India. But that isn't one of the problems at the moment - Votes can be counted.. but there should be votes to count. Everyone doesn't vote - In fact 76% of the youth are completely indifferent towards Politics. The problem, also, rises when the rural educated (school) youth vote as they are promised education/employment but the urban well educated youth that don't find time or interest to take part in the Political system, just don't vote. Our country is a Democratic country - of the people, by the people and for the people. But it's these people who need to get their asses up and be aware of what's happenin around and take a bloody stand. And, Most of all - Get out and Vote. One vote matters - it can make all the difference! Once the interest into Politics comes in, it's up to Us (n why i say us is because i am part of this youth culture in India) to define what stand we want to take - whether it's to get into the Parliament, to start a movement, to make others aware in whatever you know and eventually help others make society/community - town - city - state - country a Better Place!
So Youth into Politics - Definitely!"

Source: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061001075014AAZhXeU
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Ask someone to define democracy, and I'll bet he or she quotes Abraham Lincoln back to you. A Government of the people, by the people, and for the people, is how the 16th president of USA put it in the Gettysburg Address. For most of us, those are the words that first come to mind when we think about democracy.

But do they really mean anything, these days to India? Democracy will have a meaning if and only if the people who are participating the electoral system have power to think and analyze. This system works well for the people in countries where people are empowered with education and Information and where people can judge what is right and what is wrong.

In a country such as India where close to 70 percentage of the people are illiterate and have no clue of the consequence of electing a political party or a leader. Those educated who can make a difference by participating in system are running away from it because they know there are no takers for them in the current system.

After 50 years of Independence and when time and technology changing so rapidly it is very saddening to see most of the country is still undereducated. When people are illiterate one cannot expect them to understand the policies and ethics of a political party. This has been a bane for the current breed of political parties who just work hard to grab the power and fill their coffins. They do not want people to get empowered and they want them to be there as along as possible.

I my self never participated in the systems because I know my vote always going to be void. VOID, yes if I participate and vote for an eligible party (if available) and if any one among rest of 70 percentage vote to the opposition party it s nothing but void. All my education and the power I had from my education and knowledge gone in the drain.

Indian Democracy can work and we can make it to work. The only possibility I see is encouraging well-educated people to political system. But How?, Why do they want to come in to current system which is so corrupt and illogical for the current socioeconomic nature of the country.

The Following are my recommendations

· Each vote of the educated person should be counted as 10 votes or more based his qualification. This provision can be taken away when country becomes 90 educated.

· Make it mandatory to participate in the system to all educated people

These suggestions may sound crazy to some people but it is the need of the hours to see a change at least in our lifetime

Do you think current political parties/politicians would be interested in implementing this even if all the countrymen and women want it to be implemented? No, they would stop it just by saying its an discrimination with rest of the fellow citizens?. Then I would ask them what is the solution, shall we wait until everyone become educated in the country and its going to take 200 more years and by that time country will be Dark Age.

Then what is the solution?

Military Coup. Yes its sound strange but yes its required for India. Current politicians are taking the mother India for a ride. We need a fundamental change in the code and conduct of the system and its possible only through a coup and president rule."

Source: http://blog.360.yahoo.com/mallik_bathula
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Most of our political parties aim getting votes and coming into power. They do not have any principles . They are least bothered about the country's development.

It is good if more young people come to the politics who can change or at least correct to some extent the Govt bodies . They should be able to do something for the country , for the people."

"Most of our politicians are octogenarians who are not so pragmatic. They all know only how to win elections. But they have few after-election task to do. Youth & working people constitute majority of the citizens, who hitherto did not even consider voting as an important responsibility, thanks to the image of politicians. It is a good thing to see that a lot of young, educated and talented people are entering politics with a lot of enthusiasm. It is these people who could take us to the world of technology and innovation."

"sleeping sleeping and earning. the old brains are doing nothing there. being born in india we have to make some good to our country. the old brains are tired now. they are busy in dreaming."


"Indian politics has really seen uncountable politicians who have contributed in just spoiling the nation.They have kust filled their own pockets in country's name."

Source: http://www.indiastudychannel.com/forum/21653-Should-Indian-youth-join-politics.aspx
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Indian youth and politics

Soma Chakraborty moved to Bangalore as a new bride in November, excited to join her husband, Avishek, in a place known for fun, freedom and opportunity. That notion lasted about a month. "I'm trying to love the city," she says gamely. But the city has not made it easy. Soma, 24, hasn't been able to find work — in a recession, no one's interested in her master's degree in psychology without experience — and Avishek's once coveted job at the outsourcing firm Satyam now depends on the whims of the scandal-tainted company's new owners. (Read "In India, a Dynastic Heir Strategizes the Election.")

To save money, the Chakrabortys stopped going out to nightclubs, not long before a spate of so-called "moral policing" attacks in which women were assaulted in public by small groups of unidentified men for wearing jeans and sleeveless tops. "I have a tough time getting out of the house," Soma says, making it difficult for her to find friends or new professional contacts. They don't want the government to bail them out, but they do want a city that understands and encourages their ambitions. (See pictures of the tempestuous Nehru-Gandhi dynasty of India.)

A generation ago, a young couple like this might have simply tried to leave India in search of a better life. Avishek and Soma plan to do something more radical. They will vote in the national elections — which began April 16 and are staggered over five weeks — in a conscious effort to hold their government accountable. The Chakrabortys are part of India's youth vote, a demographic that is too large for any political party to ignore. Of India's 1 billion citizens, 40% are under 18; 70% are under 35. In the cities, voting rates among younger citizens are as many as 20 points lower than they are in rural areas, but growing. "Urban youth is emerging as a key electoral group," says Jai Mrug, an election analyst based in Mumbai. "It could be a huge sample of voters freshly added to the polls." The country's political future belongs to those who understand that their issues are India's issues.

Disrupted Lives
the sleek third-floor lounge of the Ista, a boutique hotel in downtown Bangalore, is a good place to try to understand how young Indians are changing politics. Many of the young employees of this hotel are upset, in a visceral way, about the recent incidents in Bangalore, which occurred a few weeks after a more vicious, videotaped beating of a group of young women at a pub in Mangalore, a much smaller city 220 miles (350 km) away. "It gets you really angry," says Deepak Sampath, 30, the hotel's front-office manager. "It's not something that you're doing wrong. It's still a democratic country. You're not intruding into anybody else's place."

Moral policing might sound like a minor quality-of-life issue, but for young Bangaloreans it is symbolic of a broader failure of governance. "You know that the government can do something about it," says Michelle Sebastian, 26, marketing manager at the hotel. But no one has been arrested in Bangalore, and she still feels unsafe going out at night. "We pay taxes. Where's the money going?" Instead of putting more police on the streets, the local government is using the incidents to justify new restrictions on bars and restaurants. The employees at the Ista worry that disrupting local nightlife won't just hurt their business; they fear that it hurts Bangalore's reputation as a safe, cosmopolitan place for young people to start their careers — a reputation that has turned the city into India's fastest-growing metropolis. The attacks on women are a symbolic rejection of the open-minded, modern India that they all want to be part of. "On the one hand, India is developing; on the other hand you're seeing a U-turn," says Jai Pais, a 21-year-old intern at the hotel. "You're going backward."

Frustration is a common theme in interviews with young people in many parts of India: they simply want a government that works. This was most clear in Mumbai after the November terrorist attacks in which nearly 200 people were killed. There was certainly anger directed at the terrorists and their sponsors, who are believed to be in Pakistan, but the more enduring feeling was disillusionment with the city's own inadequate response. Mihir Joshi, 28, is a DJ and musician in south Mumbai who says he has become politically active for the first time in his life because of "26/11." What still troubles him isn't the motivation of the terrorists. Instead, he wonders, "How could this happen? What is our system doing? How the hell did it take four days for this to be resolved?" he says. "That is what is appalling. How can we get someone in power that can make something happen?"

Skeptics say that the new activism of young urban voters is nothing more than an élite phenomenon, and that this Indian election, like nearly every one that has preceded it, will be decided by the masses in India's villages, who vote for the candidate most likely to bring them bijli, pani, sadak — power, water and roads. But even young people in rural areas are looking for something new: not just a better life, but a better system. Vikram Rai, for example, is a 29-year-old college lecturer in Darjeeling, in northeastern India, who can't understand why the water from the lush green countryside is only enjoyed by some people. He has had to buy all his water for the past five years — not just for drinking, but for every household need in the 100-year-old cottage that he shares with his wife, daughters and parents. "It's not like there is no water," he says. "But most of it is sourced out to VIPs and the big hotels for more money, and the taxpayers have to pay for that."

SOurce: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1893308,00.html

Indian youth and new political initiatives

Slowly, the youth are coming forward to perticipate in politics...NO, not to make money (as their earlier generation)but to "contribute to the society"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Source: The Hindu

Sarath stated “I was born and brought up in a slum in Madipakkam in Chennai. I have two elder sisters and two younger brothers and my mother was the sole breadwinner of the family.
It was really tough for my mother to bring up five kids on her meager salary. She sold Idlis in the mornings, worked for the mid-day meal at the school during daytime and taught at the adult education programme of the Indian government, thus doing three different jobs to bring us up and educate us.My mother, according to me, is the most successful entrepreneur.
I did schooling in Kings Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Chennai,graduated in Chemical Engineering from BITS, Pilani and after working for 3 years in Polaris Softwares completed MBA from IIM Ahmedabad.”

The telegraph reported:
Ahmedabad, April 1: From helping his mother sell idlis on Chennai’s streets to starting his own catering business may not sound like a giant leap for a slum kid.
Unless, in between, he graduates from an IIM and turns down a corporate job offer.
When 27-year-old Sarath Babu, a software engineer and MBA, made his choice at this year’s placement on the Ahmedabad B-school campus, he was clear in his mind about two things.
One, he would chart his own course as an entrepreneur and two, he would continue to sell food like his mother Deeparamani, who still vends idlis to pedestrians in Chennai.
“Nobody would have imagined this 20 years ago,” said IIM Ahmedabad chairman N.R. Narayana Murthy, referring both to Sarath’s progress from a slum to the B-school and his rejection of a cushy job to start an unconventional business with little capital.
As he lit a lamp to inaugurate the Foodking Catering Service, Sarath’s firm in Ahmedabad, the Infosys boss, however, suggested how the young man could pay his mother an even more fitting tribute.
Compared with Deeparamani’s customers, Sarath’s usual clients would be somewhat more upscale: BPOs, pharmaceutical firms, multinational companies and college canteens. He says he plans to turn his company into a food chain that will be a “national brand” employing 50,000 people.But Murthy reminded him that millions of poor Indian children, from whose ranks he rose, never go to school let alone B-school and he needed to do his bit for them.
Why don’t you take up the mid-day meal scheme, which can lure underprivileged children to the classroom, the Infosys chief asked.
Sarath’s eyes seemed to moisten. “Sir, I’m happy to tell you that my mother has worked for the Tamil Nadu government’s mid-day meal scheme. She cooked mid-day meals in a nearby school and earned Rs 30 a day. She still sells idli in Chennai. That is how she brought me up and my two sisters and a brother,” he said in an emotional voice.
As the audience erupted in applause, Sarath rang up his 52-year-old mother and introduced her to Murthy.
A proud Deeparamani said she knew her son had declined a well-paying job but she was happy that he had chosen to be a caterer. “At least, he would be feeding people,” the mother said.
Sarath described how he had made it through school with help from a teacher who paid his fees. State government scholarships allowed him to get an engineering degree from BITS, Pilani, after which he worked with a software firm for about two years.
“In the last four decades, such a thing has never happened in IIM Ahmedabad,” institute director Bakul Dholakia declared.

Source: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060402/asp/nation/story_6046364.asp

Achievements
• Honorary Alumni XLRI, Jamshedpur
• Honorary Rotarian, Dist 3201

Awards
• PEPSI-MTV Youth Icon 2008 (earlier recipients were Mr. Anil Ambani, Rahul Dravid, Shah Rukh Khan, M. S. Dhoni)
• “Example to Youth Award 2008″, CHENNAI.

Other links about Sarath:

http://startupstarters.blogspot.com/2006/10/sarath-babu.html
http://iamchandru.blogspot.com/2006/03/sarath-babu-idly-kadai-iim-ahmedabad.html
http://www.iimaalumni.org/n/front/newsmakers/indexsub.asp?NMID=89
http://www.pagalguy.com/forum/cat-and-related-discussion/14780-know-your-iimite-sarath-babu.html
http://ia.rediff.com/money/2006/aug/31spec.htm

His website: http://sarathbabu.co.in/in/

WE WISH HIM ALL THE BEST


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Alternative approach of Indian politics

And you thought Indian politics was all about 60-plus politicians whose only aim in life was to die rich and powerful, while at the same time, leave the nation in dire straits? Think again.

An article titled “Neither Left nor Right” appeared in Bangalore Times supplement of the Times of India dated 9th April 2009 (I am trying to find the article online – I will update this post with the permalink if and when I do find it). The article mentions several young-blood parties and organizations which aim to turn Indian politics on its head. They aim to follow an approach which is diametrically opposite to the one being followed currently. In essence, they all envision a corruption-free and equality-centric India – which are the seeds to economic development, safety and general prosperity.

I would say that this approach comes as a whiff of fresh air for those of us who are being fed the stale diet of political parties whose promises and actions will only take the nation down the doomsday highway.

A List of out-of-the-box-thinking political parties:

Here is a list of such new-age parties and organizations, what I have collectively termed as the Alternative Front (although these parties have not come together to actually form a “front” - more about this towards the end of the post). Please do visit the home links of these parties/organizations to know more about their history, mission, agenda and such.

Lok Paritran
Jago PartyBharat Punarnirman Dal (BPD)
Bharatiya Rashtravadi Samanata Party (BRSP)
Professionals Party of India (PPI)
Youth For Equality (not a political party)
JaagoRe (a website which helps people to register to vote)


A cursory glance through these sites reveals a common thread:

Most of them are development-oriented (both urban and rural).
Most of them promise accountability in politics.
Most of them believe that its not the politician – rather its the citizen who is at the centre of governance (both in terms of rights and responsibilities).
Most importantly, most of them shun the divide and rule policies of the current crop of politicians. They envisage a society in which everyone is equal– irrespective of religion, caste, gender, language or any other divisive factor which is currently being exploited.

Not Just more of “Those” Parties!

I know what you are thinking – does this mean we have half-a-dozen more parties to add to the rot which is Indian politics? On the contrary, or so I think (very strongly, if I may add).

In my opinion, these parties are different from the run-of-the-mill political parties we have grown used to. These parties have been formed by highly educated people, and in some cases, by people who have worked at the grass-roots level (albeit in a non-political capacity). Some of them have among their ranks, ex-professionals for whom accountability is the mantra.

I think we should give the this new-age politics a chance to prove its mettle. Some of the parties listed above have contested polls in the past. Some are fielding their candidates in the upcoming Parliamentary elections, including in Bangalore. I urge one and all to go through the web sites of various parties and seriously consider voting for their candidates. This is all the more important as in many constituencies, none of the “conventional” candidates are worth even a single vote!

But Why So Many Parties?

There is one caveat though. If these parties converge in their vision and thought process, then why so many parties? Make no mistake, they are up against behemoths. It is definitely going to be an uphill task to secure even a single Lok Sabha seat. When such is the case, why the fragmentation? Would it not be better if all of these parties came together to fight the might of the conventional parties? Of course, there is bound to be differences of opinion amongst them, but there will be room for all of that down the line.

The need of the hour is for these parties to come together and form an “Alternative Front” (I call it that for lack of a more creative name!). The need of the hour is to give the people of India a dose of this new-age governance model. The need of the hour is to give Indians the hope – that all is not lost, that there are parties with honestly patriotic intentions.

I can promise that once the public sees first hand, the benefits of this model, they will never go back to vote for petty politics. And this is where the beauty of the new model lies – once people get used to all-round development, the competition among the parties will increase – to be more competitive, to give more to the nation, to take the country faster on the path to development!

Hoping, in the near term, that the Alternative Front materializes, and even if it does not, that these alternative parties are successful in winning at least a handful of seats in the upcoming elections.

Hoping, in the longer term, that development and equality become the pillars of Indian politics.

Source: http://www.hopehorizons.in/2009/04/alternative-approach-to-indian-politics.html

Indian youth and politics

Indian youth trend

Source: SAVVY / Magna Publication/ April 2009

youth in India

An article stating different segments (Bharatiyas, Indians and INglodians...as discussed earlier in this blog) of Indian youth and their various aspirations...


The young surge
Thu, 16 Apr 2009 India Today

Those looking for a reflection of India's youth in the gleaming glassfronts of its malls and the dazzling multitude of its multiplexes, be warned. The real Youngistan lies elsewhere, away from the Prados and pub-hops, the Gucci shoes and the GMAT tests, in the no-name villages with bad roads and worse sanitation where 68.9 per cent of youngsters between 12 and 35 live.

With another 18.6 per cent living in small towns, it is clear that big city youth may have the mojo, but they don't necessarily have the majority.

For ageing leaders, who have suddenly discovered the joys of blogs and Facebook, of Flickr and Twitter, this may come as a rude shock as they try to woo young voters with the ostensible tools of the young. But 97 per cent of young India does not have access to the Internet and 41 per cent never watch television. What's more, the urban young population, which has benefited the most from liberalisation's often chaotic choices, has fallen by 4.1 per cent in large and small towns since 2005, signifying the gradual ageing of urban India.

The visible youth are a minority, with just 3.4 per cent of urban youth between 12 and 35 being skilled workers and 0.3 per cent businessmen/industrialists. In the villages, where the silent majority lives, the professions are largely dictated by the accident of birth or coincidence of circumstances.

About 9 per cent are landowners, 7.8 per cent are farm labourers and 7.4 per cent are in jobs other than agriculture, while 25 per cent are studying. Yes, 44.2 per cent contribute to a money-generating activity, but they are caught in a heartbreaking cycle of poverty, says Suresh Nimbalkar, vice-president of Hansa Research, who compiled the data based on IRS 2008 Round 2.

Numbers that count

* 521 million of the population is between 12 and 35, with 268 million men and 253women

* 31.1% live in urban India 12.5%live in big towns and 18.6% in small towns while 68.9% live in villages

* 53.4% of those between 12 and 35 are married. 63% of young women are married compared to 45% of men

* 67.9% are unaware of the Internet

* 86.9% don't go to movie theatres, 76.8%never listen to the radio, 4.1% read English newspapers while 17.9% read Hindi dailies

* 40.9% never watch TV while 44.2% watch it once in seven days

* 25% of those between 12 and 35 are studying, while 7.8% work as agricultural labourers and 7.4% work in jobs other than farming

What does all this mean in an information era that seems to be witnessing unprecedented mobilisation among young people, a realisation that they are not just a passive market for FMCG goods, but participants and indeed kingmakers in the politics of their nation? We may overestimate the exposure or even the access of young people across the nation to mass media, but we should not underestimate their ambitions.

Young people, for long viewed as needing supervision, as sociologist Lata Narayan says, are increasingly asserting themselves against their typecasting. Western accounts of India have made it fashionable to perceive the globalised MTV urban youth as part of a gigantic universal melting pot, whose interest in politics is peripheral.

But as the election of the first rock star President in America has shown this is not true even in the home of MTV. Youth turnout in the US increased to 52 per cent, and voters under 30 accounted for 60 per cent of the overall increase. In India, as these 40 snapshots of Indians under 40 show, young people are not just involved in furthering their own careers, but also their causes as citizens.

And the hunger is in the villages and small towns, where electricity is an infrequent visitor and colleges are hubs of often malefic political activity. No one is content any more to do what his or her parents did. Boxing, labelling, and sorting out by caste, age, gender or ethnicity are giving way to the desire to dream and do unencumbered by old identities.

So Ernakulam district in Kerala has a woman panchayat leader, Susan Thankappan, who has stood against the state's powerful land mafia to protect paddy fields in her area. Ernakulam is also the birthplace of actor Asin, who is at ease in Tamil potboilers as she is on the cover of glossy fashion magazines. Then again Surat in Gujarat has sent a young girl, Prachi Desai, to Balaji Telefilms to become a soap star but Gujarat is also where an MBA from San Fransisco State University, Rahul Gala Shah, has returned to become a successful farmer.

In young India, there is no one truth, this or that, either or. There is one Youngistan that watches MTV Roadies, another has a student leader, P.K. Biju, who wants a paved road to make the 2-km trudge to his school easier. There is one Youngistan that thinks Buddhism is a fashion statement, and another couple, Shruti Nagvanshi and Lenin Raghuvanshi, who embrace the faith as a protest against untouchability. These are men and women who have chosen the rough and tumble of politics, set up unusual businesses, returned from the West to work in India, and used their talents to entertain and amuse. They are a microcosm of the vast young nation they belong to.

And they are citizens at a time when the world is watching how they will exercise their rights in the world's largest democracy. Everyone's eyeing the 180 million people under 35 who are going to vote this year, and the 43 million of them who will be first-time voters. Will they cold-shoulder convention or cave in to it? They are the future of India, but on their decision may well depend the India of the future.

with Purvi Malhotra
Source: http://in.elections.yahoo.com/articles.html?feed=http://in.news.yahoo.com/248/20090416/1604/top-the-young-surge.html

Youth Trend in Indian politics

Indian political scenario is slowly changing. Though illiterates & criminals are still thr in large numbers, the young MBA graduates are taking it up as another career option.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

More and more management graduates enter politics
Tue, Apr 14 10:32 AM

New Delhi, April 14 (IANS) This is not a decision taken in haste or forced by the current economic recession. More and more management graduates are entering politics, saying this is their way of serving society.

'While being in the corporate world, one can't serve society completely. Politics is an area where you can do a lot for the society,' said Ranjan Kumar, a graduate of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM)-Lucknow.

Contesting from the Mohanlalganj constituency on the outskirts of Lucknow in the Lok Sabha elections beginning Thursday, Kumar told IANS that he hopes to change the country's 'corroded' system.

'Most politicians have not done much for the country. The majority of the people sit outside and criticise the government. But if one wants to change the system, one has to be a part of the system,' said Kumar, who recently left the Congress to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Asked why he switched loyalty, Kumar said: 'I have seen the Congress very closely. When Rahulji (Rahul Gandhi) joined politics, people thought a transformation would take place. But despite the Congress revival plan in Uttar Pradesh formulated in June 2004, nothing has moved.'

The 38-year-old IIM graduate is also an elected vice-chairman of the Mansarovar Cooperative Bank, Lucknow.

Harsh Vardhan Chhaparia, a graduate from IIM-Calcutta, will be interning with the BJP before he switches to his high-profile job.

'I chose politics and especially the BJP because I am impressed with their vision for youth. Moreover, I want to learn how public management works. What better place can I find than in politics,' Chapparia said.

The trend is not new to this industry.

Some five years ago, Sachin Pilot, an MBA from Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania, joined politics, winning on the Congress ticket from Dausa in Rajasthan.

'It was a well-thought-out decision and not taken in haste. Whatever I have learnt could be best (given back to society) through politics,' Pilot said on telephone as he campaigned in his new constituency of Ajmer.

Pilot is happy that more and more young people with professional backgrounds are embracing politics.

'It's time the system changes... There needs to be self-regulation. Muscle and money power should be done away with,' Pilot said.

Of all the newcomers in politics from the world of management, the prize catch for the BJP has been its IT cell chief Prodyut Bora. An IIM-Ahmedabad graduate, Bora joined the BJP in 2004.

'Politics can be a platform to do some good work. The political system has failed to attract youngsters in public service,' Bora told IANS. 'The image of a bad, ugly Indian politician needs to change.'

So why did he opt for the BJP? Bora answered: 'Well, I am a nationalist.'

What are his future plans? 'It all depends on my party.'

IIM graduates entering politics can take inspiration from Meera Sanyal, who made a transition from a banker to a politician. Sanyal, the country head of ABN Amro, decided to give up her banking career and contest elections from the Mumbai South constituency as an independent candidate.

It was the Mumbai terror attack that led her to join politics. She is pitted against Milind Deora of the Congress, a business and political science graduate from Boston University.

Another prominent management graduate in politics is Jyotiraditya Scindia, who studied in Harvard and Stanford. He said he chose politics over the corporate world to 're-energise the system and do well for society'.

(Pupul Dutta can be contacted at pupul.d@ians.in)

Pupul Dutta
Source:http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20090414/836/tbs-more-and-more-management-graduates-e.html
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Youth can change image of Indian politics: Advani

New Delhi: Underlining the need for changing the image of the "ugly Indian politician", senior BJP leader L K Advani today said one way of making this possible was by encouraging more young people to join politics.

"I tell my fellow politicians, particularly those belonging to my own party, that it is our duty to erase this image of the ugly Indian politician ....it is necessary for the best and the brightest among the youth to join politics and serve the nation," Advani said.

He was speaking at a seminar on "National Values Crisis and its Redressal" organised by the Foundation for Restoration of National Values.

The 81-year-old leader cited Transparency International s annual reports where India ranks high in the corruption index and the United Nations report in which India ranks low in the Human Development Index. He held responsible the lack of professionalism among politicians as the reason for this state of affairs.

"Politics was a noble profession during the freedom Movement... After Independence, the spirit of mission got gradually diluted... Unfortunately, in India today politics is seen neither as a mission nor as a profession, but as pure commerce," Advani lamented.

However, the senior leader pointed out that it was not just in politics that the values had gone down. "The lack of integrity and professional ethics is seen among lawyers, judges, doctors.... And even security personnel. It is seen even in the media," Advani said.

BJP s Prime Ministerial candidate said though the intelligence quotient of an individual could develop lifelong, his emotional, moral and spiritual quotient developed mostly between the age of 15 and 25 years.

"It is necessary for the young to join politics and serve the nation," he said.

Source: http://news.indiainfo.com/article/0811181357_youth_can_change_image_of_indian_politics_advani/243566.html
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Youth And Politics: Divorced Forever?

The Indian youth is experiencing what is called as the depoliticisation process or in simpler terms, a disengagement from the world of politics. There’s growing apathy towards political activities and politicians from the youth these days owing to the domination of politics by crime and corruption. Due to the lack of an efficient political system in the country and its contamination by felonious and iniquitous acts, youngsters prefer veering away from politics.

However, it was a different story altogether in the early days of India’s independence. India has given the world great, young leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Gandhi and Bhagat Singh, who all fought with utmost passion and patriotism in the nation’s freedom struggle.Infact, the greatest uprising of our country against the British forces i.e. The Quit India Movement was led valiantly by the Young Turks.

In the post independence era around the 1980’s, the Indian Youth Congress was founded and its objective was to unite the youth of India, to identify itself with their cause and to work with devotion to build a strong, powerful and self-reliant India. Also, the National Youth Day was declared on the birthday of Swami Vivekananda in the year 1985, who was a young spiritual leader who contributed immensely for the welfare of the society. However, such is the scenario today, that one is hardly aware about the existence of any such day.

With materialism being the by product of liberalization, Indian markets as well as the youth is becoming vested in its interests. Values like patriotism and love for one’s country is on a decline as the youth are turning towards MTV, McDonalds and Money making. Also, the interest of a few motivated souls is disillusioned due to the dismal performance and personalities of the current politicians. As a result, the youth has become cynical and pessimistic in its attitude towards politics. Nobody wants to become a politician nor does any parent want his or her child to venture in this field.

The trust and credibility factor which was the USP of the yesteryear politicians is nowhere to be found today. We then had charismatic leaders and today we have criminals in the guise of politicians. However, this is not reason enough for the youth to be disenchanted from politics. After all, world’s greatest wars and rebellions have been led and fought by the youth. The Fascist programme insisted on tapping the vitality of youth, even Hitler created the ‘Hitler Youth’ and endowed the German youth with a purpose. From Tienmian Square to India’s freedom struggle, youth have carried the baton of their beliefs with unflinching courage.

Even the recent past has witnessed some impetuous movements by the youth like the candle march in the Jessica Lall murder case, protests against reservations in educational institutions by the Government and the popular Pink Chaddi campaign against the tyrannical ways of Promod Muthalik. In fact, the emergence of young promising leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Sachin Pilot and Omar Abdullah have instilled some life and dynamism in Indian politics giving youngsters the hope that ‘All is not dark out there. Leaders like Omar Abdullah are believed to bring about a new vivacity in the valley in his regime with attitudinal changes being evident in the voting patterns observed in the recent J&K elections.

However, in order to reinvent the zeal of youngsters in politics, certain measures are imperative. Indian political system does not offer any incentives to the youth to engage in politics. Also, it is shameful that until and unless one belongs to a political dynasty, he/she has to face immense resistance in this field to become a MP. Politics is in any case seen as a very dirty career full of cut-throatism and back stabbing and on top of that there is absolutely no premium placed on community leadership in our country which forms an integral part of US educational curriculum. The existing political exposure at the university level is petty and driven by the selfish interests of national level political parties. Candidatures are selected not on the basis of capability but the closeness the candidate shares with the major political leaders. As a result of which campuses are no better than deserted islands on the polling day which speaks for the dirty muck dominating college and university level politics.

But the only remedy for this disease is exercising our power to vote and discharge the duties of a responsible citizen. One has to traverse the hard way in order to bring about a change for the better. Until and unless we do not put our hands in the muck, it will stay there forever and stagnate even more. Passing the buck won’t help. Almost every field today has its bit of muck, it is just that politics is not as glamorous and convenient an option to opt for.

The media can play a great role in motivating the youth to join politics. Attitudinal changes need to be brought about by reporting of positive changes and developments in politics and not just negative or cynical news stories. By covering events where the youth has helped in shaping the course of important political issues, the media can compel changes in the existing mindsets.

Our youth should be inspired by their American counterparts who have brought about a revolution in American politics by electing Barack Obama, a young Afro-American leader as America’s President. In fact, Internet and technology played a major role in influencing this historical event. Presidential debates were facilitated by means of sites like You Tube where the American youth were given a forum to address their concerns and queries to the Presidential candidates which proved to be a huge success.

Similarly, steps like facilitating voting via text messages or Internet can further help in engaging the youth. A big factor for Obama winning the elections was that his ideas and values gelled with the imagination and hopes of the youth. An organization like Youth Congress should invent ingenious ways to reignite the interest of youngsters and actively involve them in the country’s political process. It is said that ‘In every year of history one law has invariably proved its unchanging truth: youth will always triumph over age.’ This rhetoric can surely be turned into reality if the youth desires.


Akshuna Bakshi

Source: http://theviewspaper.net/youth-and-politics-divorced-forever/
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Why the educated youth must join politics... the hurdles... and why they need to lobby for a better judicial system to make their dream a reality...

Arindam Chaudhuri, Editor-in-chief, The Sunday Indian


In the backdrop of the Mumbai terror attacks, there has been a lot of talk about the need to go and vote... the need to elect the right government... the need for educated youth to come up and join politics and the need for a new political force that can bring about the real change. This topic is something that’s very close to my heart, as ever since I can remember, may be since I was eight years old or so, I remember my father always told me that it is not politics which is dirty, but the people in politics who have made it dirty; and that politics is the biggest service to a nation that one can think of; something that able and educated men with leadership skills should always think of keeping in the forefront of their ambition list. As a response to my workshops on the Great Indian Dream, as well as to my editorials – especially the ones criticising the government, and more especially the last two on the Mumbai blasts – many people have sent me messages: why criticise; why not try to be the change!

Yes, the truth is, I have personally always believed that politics is where the educated youth should be. Some of my published interviews, which date back to as early as 1997, stand testimony to the fact that I myself had wished to be a part of the political process sometime in my life – my students from the ‘94 batch at IIPM and onwards would vouch that that is the truth, because they have heard me say so time and again. What’s also the biggest truth is that, year after year, when my students come and ask me where should I want to see them fifteen years or so down the line, without an iota of doubt, this has always been my answer – in politics! And parents of our students who have heard me speak at the orientation programme at IIPM or at the convocation programmes at IIPM know that that has always been my advice for their children... for I know one of the biggest strengths at IIPM is our super combination of entrepreneurial and management education, along with sharp and incisive education in economics – some things our politicians have always lacked! Either our leaders have been great managers with no understanding of economics leading to disaster, or our leaders have been great economists with no clue about management and leadership, and, therefore, have spelt disaster. To me, one of the stories that unforgettably describe India’s tragedy is about ‘The mother of India who had two sons.’ One knew how to run (the country, that is) but went to fly and met his end; the other knew how to fly, but went to run and met his end. Symbolically, that has always been India’s problem – misallocation of resources and incapable leaders at the top; and that’s why I have always considered our students to be great resource material as future politicians of this country with the perfect mix of education – for management education doesn’t always mean only focusing on how to maximise private profits. That’s not to say others aren’t capable, but just because I am personally involved with teaching IIPM students, through them, I want to show my faith and passion in my belief in the role of youth in politics.

Well, having said how passionately I believe that the clean and educated youth in India should be a part of politics, I must also say that unfortunately, the government has created a system that is non-conducive for clean people to enter politics. It doesn’t allow the youth with the passion and education to just jump in and start making the change; because if they were to do so, they would only end up being disillusioned; or worse, a part of the corrupt system itself. It’s because elections in this country are neither fought with passions and policies nor with candlelight processions. Elections are fought by motorcycle brigades with guns in hand. The truth is that Indian politics is not fought with ideology, but with muscle power and ruthless rigging in the interiors. Indian politics is a hierarchy of criminals and goons. At the grassroots, a local MLA wins through a bunch of goons. On top of a few such MLAs sits the MP; and on top of such mostly criminal and corrupt MPs sits the Prime Minister. And that a man sitting as the Prime Minster could be a poet, a literary genius, who knows 17 languages or an economist, but the reality is that he sits there because his party has a hierarchy of criminals; and the stronger this criminalisation is at the grassroots level, the tougher it is to defeat them – West Bengal being a case in point. You can be a big leader – say an Uma Bharti – but the moment the system of criminalisation that you sit upon and win elections with is gone, you are reduced to a nonentity. Even a cosmopolitan state like Delhi has no place for educated, clean people. Only those who get key party tickets have won over the years.

Yet, we know – and should believe – that one day, the educated must take over this system... One day, the youth must come forward and make the difference... But before clean and honest youth can come forward, we need to give the youth the environment to fight on the basis of policies and passion and not on the basis of guns. And for that to happen, we need a very very strong and powerful judiciary that is alive and not paralysed... A very strong judicial system that stops criminalisation of daily life and weeds out the criminals from the system, and sees to it that criminals cannot fight elections or win them through rigging... and instills fear in the minds of the criminals through a quick process of justice! But surely, not the way it is today – a process of endless delays and inefficiencies! And these are issues we at TSI have been relentlessly lobbying for since our inception. The other option is, of course, a Constitutional change that brings about a Presidential system in India – again an issue we at TSI have lobbied for in the past – so that like in the USA, the Indian leadership can also be determined on the basis of debates and policies.

Until we can achieve either of the two, the need for educated and clean people to enter politics will unfortunately remain more of a slogan; for the environment is, I repeat, unfortunately not conducive for them to make any dent. Yet, I must say, they must not give up the hope. They must come forward and lobby for the right changes – and a strong judiciary is what should top their list and agenda. And if they keep their focus right, and fight for the correct causes, they will one day make the system conducive for the big change. I have personally always believed, “If you think you can, you are right!”… I am sure the time is not far when one amongst the educated and clean people will be bringing about change in this country... a change that we too can believe in... And at TSI, we will keep lobbying and doing our bit to make that change a reality.

Source: http://www.iipmthinktank.com/asp/editorial.asp?cdis=21/12/2008&pageno=1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Concern for Varun Gandhi

Indian Youth express legendary figure, Varun Gandhi the youth iconic personality emerging budding star of Indian politics put under stringent calls of NSA by the Mayawati government in UP.His fan writes,”Varun is innocent. He is the youth icon of India. Political parties are unnecessarily spoiling his image and putting charges on him. I am against the NSA charges and other charges which are on Varun. He is the true voice of India. The youth is actually disheartened because of what all is happening to Varun. He should be released now.”

Varun Gandhi popularity can be gauged by the write-up and bloggers coloring unmatched ink for their youth icons and at every nook and corner people are expresing the Varun story expressing sympathy for the son of legendary family puttting him incinerator with vote catchers, few in process of dousing the contentious issue and filter the righteousness.

With youth forming the major
chunk in India’s population and internet in vogue the Varun Gandhi emerge hot spot in General Election 2009.He is scripted in Indian history on subject of emergency 1975 imposed at the nehest of his father by grandmother former premier,Varun is controversy of imposition of the NSA by the state government in election time on Sanjay Gandhi son in year 2009 adds another historical event which couldl change the political scenario in the country with youths coming out to vote for their ideal candidate in turn for their respective party candidates.

Nation likely to go for poll with more than 70 percent voters casting their vote with advertisement by NGO in print and electronic media along with government adds may help to achieve more percent in this year of poll feat appears accomplished for the democracy to have its deep roots.

Source: http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/concern-for-varun-gandhi_100175355.html