They are part of the country’s demographic dividend. Counting only Indians in the 18-29 age-group, we get a massive population band of 210 million, around a fifth of the total electorate. They are the future of the country, and what vision you have for them for that future is what will catch their attention and perhaps their vote. As the nation heads for an election to choose its 18th Lok Sabha, political parties are vying with each other to woo this cohort. But what does India’s youth want? To find that out, india today correspondents travelled to different geographies—from Kheda in Gujarat to Kangpokpi in Manipur, from Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala to Baramulla in Kashmir—to tune in to the voices of the young. From different sections of society and from various professions—students, doctors, engineers, entrepreneurs, lawyers, farmers, sportspersons, even an artist, floral designer and dabbawala—they are united in their collective political consciousness and sense of active participation in Indian democracy. They have a view on the Ram mandir in Ayodhya and on the caste census. Also on the perceived threat to Indian democracy. They do not hesitate to assert their regional, cultural, religious or ethnic identity but also want inclusive economic growth and more employment opportunity. They are restless, yet confident, opinionated but accommodating. More importantly, they are willing to hold the political class to account for what is promised and what is delivered. Listen, then, to what they have to say in the following pages.
