Abstract
Around 21 % of Indian population is youth. Youth is considered as the demographic dividend of the country. The paper shows even in a developed region like Delhi disparity across gender and social groups exist. Women from lower economic background face multiple disadvantages. Further this paper raises the concerns about marginalization of youth in Delhi, where one fifth of its main workforce is constituted by youth. They highlighted the disparity in their health status, gender-based discrimination in sex ratios and also unemployment of different social groups from different classes, in Delhi. Policies of the Government like National Youth Policy and Rashtriya Kishore Suraksha Yojana are positive directions but need to be nurtured in full force so as to reduce the existing gaps and ensure the prospects for each and every young individual in the country.
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Notes
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‘The Demographic dividend is the accelerated economic growth that may result from a rapid decline in a country’s fertility and the subsequent change in the population age structure. With fewer births each year, a country’s working-age population grows larger in relation to the young dependent population. With more people in the labour force and fewer young people to support, a country has a window of opportunity for rapid economic growth if the right social and economic investments and policies are made in health, education, governance and the economy. Investments in today’s youth population can position a country to achieve a demographic dividend, but the gains are neither automatic nor guaranteed. (Source: ‘The Potential of Youth for a Demographic Dividend: Investing in Health, Education, and Job Creation’ at the International Conference on Family Planning, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, November 12–15, 2013).
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‘Most youth are exposed to some form of media. Female youth are more likely than male youth to belong to the lowest wealth quintile and less likely to be in the higher wealth quintiles. Majority of the unmarried youth live in nuclear households, whereas the majority of the married youth live in non-nuclear households. Many youth are economically active. Many youth are married and many youth are heading households. Most youth lack basic knowledge of women’s menstrual cycle. Messages about family planning are not reaching all youth. Many youth have not heard of available modern contraceptive spacing methods. A majority of youth lack comprehensive knowledge of HIV/AIDS. Most youth desire a small family, most young men have a positive attitude toward contraception, but some are misinformed about it. Youth attitudes towards gender roles are, in general, no more egalitarian than the attitude of the older cohort age 25–49. Early childbearing defines India’s fertility pattern. Both traditional and modern methods of contraception are popular among youth. The pattern of contraceptive use by youth reveals son preference. Youth have a large unmet need for family planning. Early marriage leads to early initiation of sexual activity among young women. There is evidence of higher risk sex among male youth unprotected by condom use. Tobacco use and alcohol consumption by youth are matters of concern. Sexually transmitted infections (STI) and STI symptoms are not uncommon among youth, particularly sexually active unmarried male youth. Prevalence of lifestyle diseases such as diabetes among youth is a matter of concern. Under-nutrition is very common among youth. The high prevalence of spousal violence is a continuing hurdle to the achievement of health goals and gender equality.’ (Compiled from National Family Health Survey, 2005–2006).
- 4.
‘The Potential of Youth for a Demographic Dividend: Investing in Health, Education, and Job Creation’ at the International Conference on Family Planning, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 12–15 November 2013.
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http://www.prb.org/Publications/Articles/2012/demographic-dividend-factsheet.aspx, accessed on 9 November 2015.
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SC connotes Scheduled Caste population and the Non SCs constitute that population subtracting the Scheduled Caste population from the total population.
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Other workers have been considered as proportion of cultivators, agricultural labourers, household industry, who have been found to be in very less proportions.
- 8.
http://www.prb.org/Publications/Articles/2012/demographic-dividend-factsheet.aspx, accessed on 9th November 2015.
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Dutta, C., Kumar, K. (2017). Socio-Economic Disparities Among Youth in Delhi: Issues and Challenges. In: Acharya, S., Sen, S., Punia, M., Reddy, S. (eds) Marginalization in Globalizing Delhi: Issues of Land, Livelihoods and Health. Springer, New Delhi. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-3583-5_20
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