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Narendra Modi has been perceived as a strong and focused leader amongst the youth. After a corruption grimed UPA 2 tenure, the hopes and dreams of all the demographic strata were bent on Narendra Modi’s NDA Government. The Youth similarly had various demands too -education, health, employment, family planning and world connectivity. Being the World’s youngest democracy, India is also set to play an important role in the Global service sector. With the Make in India policy, a similar behaviour is expected in the manufacturing sector too. Let’s analyze and assess some of the newly introduced policies of the Modi government and how they have a substantial impact on the Youth and its role in the future.

1) Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana
Image Credits- northeasttoday.com
Image Credits- northeasttoday.com

India has predominantly been a patriarchal society. Although acts of rape, domestic abuse, and female foeticide have been prevalent in our society since the 1950’s, the recent upsurge in pro-active media has brought things into the limelight. The sex ratio (918:1000) in India is extremely poor and is as bad as many African countries whose GDP is 10 times smaller than India’s. To address these issues and to improve on the statistical data provided, the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana were introduced. You might eye these policies as three distinct policies or a consolidated legislation, but however you perceive it, the policy’s on-paper direction aims at-
a) Increasing the sex ratio by incentives that can benefit the whole family through Beti Bachao Abhiyan.

b) Increasing the involvement of young women in economic decisions in the future, through a boost in female participation in schools, colleges and graduate schools through Beti Padhao Abhiyan.

c) Increasing family savings in the name of the girl child in the family through the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana.

Issue: The issue with this policy is the concern of its execution. With the allocations for the Women and Child Development Ministry in the government budget being reduced to one third of that of the UPA government’s budget, there are serious doubts about the large scale successful implementation of the Government.

2) Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Jeevan jyoti Bima Yojana

More than 65% of the Indian population has inadequate insurance coverage. As passive as it might seem to take an insurance policy at a young age, in the long run it proves to be extremely essential. Insurance which provides relief to families of youth who have died due to accident or natural death can successfully provide for an ailing family who has lost its only son or daughter. Health insurance also becomes important for the youth who suffer from hereditary diseases. The two policies mentioned above can assist the youth or his/her family monetarily and effectively. The policies aim at –
a) Providing a coverage of 2 lakh on death or full disability on a premium of rupees 12 per annum. It also provides for coverage of 1 lakh for partial disability under the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana.

b) Providing coverage of 2 lakh on death due to reason (not controversial), on a premium of rupees 330 per annum under the Pradhan Mantri jeevan jyoti Bima Yojana.

Issue: The acceptance of insurance in the rural strata and the youth is generally less. The governments throughout the ages have been unsuccessful in changing this candid and conservative mindset.

3) National Skills Mission and Skill India Initiative
Image Credits- mapsofindia.com
Image Credits- mapsofindia.com

Indian youth are often plagued by the fact that they are incapable of getting jobs in spite of being a graduate or a post graduate. In a survey conducted by the Para Foundation in Pune, the stark contrast in the curriculum of courses taught in undergraduate colleges in India and the United states state that nearly 70% of the Indian curriculum paves a way for textual rather than a more practical (more preferred) approach to education which in the United states is 70% in favour of practical education. This gap reduces the quality of skilled labour available in the country. In the recent 2015 budget, allocations for a consolidation of skill initiatives across ministries, now directly under the Skill Development ministry shall pave the way for a faster and more unidirectional approach to increasing productivity, employment opportunities and knowledge amongst the youth. The upsurge aims at –
a) Consolidating 20 different skill development bodies working under different ministries (Labour and Entrepreneurship, Education, Women and Child Development, Social Injustice and many more) and synergizing them under one ministry’s direction.

b) Relaxing the scope for foreign investments and expertise in the skill development sector.

c) Bringing India one step closer to a skilled powerhouse of human resource

Issue: Consolidating the functioning of skill based organizations across ministries is a tough and complex task.

India’s strength lies in its huge human resource repository. However it is essential that the opportunities are available to all strata of the society. A healthy skilled labour force can be attained by bridging the gender gap, by practically facilitating long term healthcare and transfer payment mechanism and adequate skill development opportunities. The current governments’ policies are aiming to do exactly that. The result however can be ascertained or judged after the 5 year period of the Government.

Image Credits- expressions.blogspot.com

Ishaan Sengupta
[email protected]

With the amount of travelling that our PM has done in the past year, I am sure that every politically aware and responsible citizen of our nation who voted for him or didn’t, will agree on the fact that one of the most difficult thing to do is to keep themselves updated with the movements of our beloved Namo. There are even memes on the web saying to bring back our PM first rather than the black money he promised to. Seems like the voice of such “responsible Indians” have reached the ears of our PM and to keep everyone in the nation updated with his plans, the PM launched his app on 17th June.

The interface: It has a very decent and elegant interface. If there’s one thing that our PM exudes, it’s confidence. And the app is very coherent with this quality of his. Blue, the colour of harmony and confidence, has been used very tastefully and intelligently by the designers. The app sends out a strong signal to the user that this is going to be the digital legacy of a great and powerful personality.

 

registration screens

After registration, the home page is a News page which features articles telling the latest activities of our PM. It’s a parallax scroll page. Clicking on article takes the user to a new screen which has a sub menu bar under the main menu bar with options ‘web’, ’smart’, ’picture’, ’social’ and ‘video’. Web has the whole article with all the images, quotes and videos. Under smart tab only the textual part of the article is present. Video and Picture tabs contain all the videos and photos related to the article respectively. Under social tab, all the important quotes are shown which can be shared across various social media channels. Users can also change the size of font they want to view the article in and can also add it to read it later section with options in the main menu bar.

 

Screenshot_2015-06-19-13-58-07

 

There’s an option in the top right corner below the menu bar where you can switch viewing articles according to most recent ones or most popular ones. The menu bar is itself very plain with only three icons: an arrow icon with which you can view the articles by either ascending or descending order, a magnifying glass which is a search option and three dots which when touched opens a box with an array of options. The menu box has around 15 options such as news, interact with PM, messages from PM, speeches, governance, my profile etc.

 

Screenshot_2015-06-19-14-07-06

 

Exploring the Menu: The app’s purpose is to connect every other person with a phone to the PM and it is very much conveyed through the options it houses in the menu box. There’s an ‘Interact with PM’ option which opens your inbox with messages from PM. There are ‘write to PM’ and ‘give ideas & suggestions’ tabs alongside the inbox. Among other options there is ‘social buzz’ which opens up the PM’s twitter and Facebook page. ‘Blogs’, ‘Speeches’, ‘Interviews’, ‘Media Coverage’ & ‘Infographics’ are some other options which basically encompass PM’s interaction with Media and the Web. Users can also give their feedback about the app.

The app is built around the idea that every user that registers should not only be able to connect with the PM but can also feel connected to the politics of the nation and be a part of decision making process. So to achieve the latter goal of the app, there’s a ‘To-do Tasks’ options where the user has to view videos or read an e-book or answer a multiple choice question , all related to PM in some or the other way. Points are given on completing every task. The user can view their total points under ‘my profile’ option. Users are awarded with badges as the points increase, signifying that the users are becoming more active and more responsible towards decision making process in this nation, the ultimate goal being to become “true-change maker”. The highest badge present so far in the gallery is of SUPER FAN worth 500 points.

Verdict: A very effective and elegant solution by PM to make every Indian citizen more politically aware and connected with the politics of the nation. Hats-off to the design team of the app.

 

The Good:

1. Simple yet extra ordinary interface.

2. Extremely light app.

3. Serves the purpose it is made for.

4. It has an in-built video player so doesn’t redirects to YouTube or any other video streaming application.

 

The Bad:

1. Doesn’t have an in-built browser so user has to use a third party browser every time they want to see content beyond the app.

2. Uninstalling, reinstalling and registering through same username again and again adds to the total points.

 

Image Credits: www.americanbazaaronline.com

 

Kavach Chandra

[email protected]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At a time when an anticipated Modi wave is the talk of every town, even children’s comics are roped in to promote ideologies, parties and above all, leaders. Bal Narendra falls in the last category; the comic, based on 17 ‘real life’ incidents from Modi’s childhood only adds to the presidential style of campaigning that the BJP has been carrying out for its PM candidate Narendra Modi. The release of this comic came barely a few days before the release of that other book on our leader of ten years- The Accidental Prime Minister. But while Bal Narendra is a mere children’s comic that barely made it to the bookstores unlike Sanjay Baru’s controversial book, it is a part of a larger process of promotion and publicity.

narendra-drown

It tells one about how the child Narendra Modi abided by every rule, took lessons from every experience, and emerged as the hero of every little cause and at the same time remained a humble and generous child.  Whether it was helping his father run his little tea stall or nursing his mother to health or saving a friend from drowning or standing up in the face of social discrimination…little Narendra always had the best remedies for every problem. From the disciplined son and the ideal student to the helpful friend and the resourceful champion, he was the perfect boy. And that is problematic.

In today’s testing times, when the Gujarat riots continue to haunt Modi even at the peak of his popularity, this image of the compassionate hero seems to be a portrayal stretched too far. Even the gods have faults, or at least in comics. By explaining why simple stories like that of Modi whitening his shoes matter at the end of the comic, the publishers have tried to establish the image of the leader that this country needs. Unfortunately for them, children do not aspire to be as perfect and well, they don’t vote either. Why a comic, then? If the highest court in the country has given him a clean chit in the riots, why should a children’s comic have to substantiate that? The reason is simple, a comic is but not a mere light read in this context. As mentioned earlier, it is part of a larger publicity scheme, a process of cultural diplomacy, if I may.

narendra-fathertea

When his mother chides him for having brought a baby crocodile home, Modi learns the pain of separating a mother from her child, when he helps an injured bird fly again, he is hailed as a compassionate boy. His love for his motherland is illustrated by his sense of respect towards those from the forces. The values that these purportedly true stories wish to inculcate are exactly those that parents want their children to grow with. But will they pick up a Bal Narendra over an Amar Chitra Katha? In keeping with the impending Modi wave, if they indeed do, consider the purpose of the comic fulfilled. For it is not to teach children how to learn and look up to the leader but about a sense of omnipresence and power. The message is- he has arrived.

After months of hard work, the SRCC students’ union finally executed the much awaited event of Narendra Modi’s visit to the college.Although the program was a huge success with around 1800 students turning up and thronging the sports complex to hear the Chief Minister of Gujarat speak on the theme: “Emerging business models in the global scenario”, some students protested in front of the college, shouting slogans against SRCC’s move to call Modi. In all, over 1000 students had assembled outside SRCC, which also included Modi’s supporters. Fortunately, the security was quite strong all around the campus with more than 150 police officers checking ID cards and allowing only SRites inside the college.

The protest took a turn for the worse when a section of students tried to break the barricade to get in and some pro-Modi students joined in to add to the confusion. It was then that the police had to use water cannons and even lathi charge. This went on for almost the entire session at the end of which students attending the event were told to stay back until the crowd subsides. There were also reports of ABVP activists misbehaving around campus.

The students were demonstrating to oppose his entry into Delhi University calling Modi “Fascist mass murderer”. They said that his invitation is wrong because it overlooks the communal riots in Gujarat in 2002 in which 1200 people were killed while he was in office. “This is pure nonsense, how is Modi’s visit to address students connected with any riot whatsoever! He is a man of action and we respect him for what he did for the development of Gujarat. I think they are creating a mountain out of a mole hill by making it a political issue”, says Bhargav, an SRite. The event, however, ended without any serious harm or injury to anyone.

Aishwarya Chaurasia
[email protected]

Image credits: Sakshi Gupta 

The campus of SRCC was bursting with energy all day long, with students all “suited-up” running helter-skelter, as it was the last day of Business Conclave 2013, the management fest organised by the Students’ Union of the college and the SRCC Alumni had managed to rope in Mr. Narendra Modi to deliver the annual “Sri Ram Memorial Oration”. The topic of his discourse was “Emerging Business Models in a Global Scenario”.

The security was tight, with the Delhi Police being at their best, on some occasions to the rather annoyance of the students. The Gujarat CM, scheduled to arrive at 4, actually arrived a couple of minutes earlier, impressing the students already with his act of punctuality, a virtue politicians are not really known for.

The session started with the welcoming address by Mr. Ajay Sri Ram, and after that Mr. Modi was asked to express his views on the topic. His speech was all about optimism. Citing verifiable examples from his Gujarat model of development, he spoke about how his governance has been instrumental in taking India overseas, dotting his speech with an immaculate sense of wit (read “idhar raigistan, udhar Pakistan)

The audience broke into loud applauds as he spoke on the “Soil-health Card” which Gujarat farmers possess, the fact that every cup of tea consumed by each present in the hall was made of milk brought from Gujarat, on getting to know about the forensic science university in Gujarat, the only one in the world and also on the first ever institute in the world on teachers’ education, which Gujarat boasts of.

Though it was a well-organised affair, it did not end on a very positive note with organised groups of students with left ideology staging a protest just outside the college.  But then there was also different group that all-hailed Modi in its slogans.

Vatsala Gaur
[email protected] 

Image source-ndtv.com

December has always been my favorite time of the year. I get a break from the sweltering summers and winter comes like a breath of fresh air (Only the air is way too cold, but that is what makes winters my favorite), the dense fog adds to the mistiness usually associated with Christmas,  it’s a time of year end retrospection and Connaught Place becomes the ideal hang out zone to experience the sweetness of new year and shake hands with the people roaming around dressed as Santa.

However, this time around the situation wasn’t the same. Since December 1 the end of the world became the trending topic on Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites, and to just see your Facebook wall being spammed by “end of the world” posts don’t help. After this Modi gained attention. Everything he did was seen as “enroute Delhi via Gandhinagar. Then, chaos reached its pinnacle. A 23 year old physiotherapist was gang raped and brutally injured by 6 men in a moving bus. Next thing you see, everyone was out on the streets, protesting against the inefficiency of the police and government. The public demanded- either give the rapist capital punishment or something so brutal that makes him suffer for rights. The girl till this time continues to be in a critical condition and is fighting for her life every second.

What I mean to say this, things don’t seem very Christmas-y when you go to Connaught place with your family to celebrate and all you see is police barricades blocking every road. Things don’t seem very festive when you go to India Gate to have ice cream and all you hear are cries of “hang them hang them!” You are in no mood to retrospect on your past year when all you have for conversation topic is the percentage of intestines left in the girl. Yes, this doesn’t seem like new year at all.

But amidst this, I spot one ray of hope. I went to CP on the morning on 25th December and saw a lady distributing chocolates to some construction workers. That woman, amongst all the negativity, made efforts to spread happiness.

And that’s when I found my spirit of Christmas.