Young India

Equal opportunity in nation buildingA HINDUSTAN TIMES-MaRS POLL A new generation of youth is evolving: One that believes in the idea of India. They are in search of a hero who they believe could turn India around for them

Sandipan Sharma ■ [email protected]

So you think there is a clear caricature of Indian youth in front of us? They love winners — Narendra Modi; do not idolise losers — Rahul Gandhi; fear the invincible and the invisible

— God; and chase the increasingly improbable — a virgin spouse after trying to get off with someone else on the sidelines of the arranged nuptial bed, a pleasure only a few find publicly acceptable.

We are convinced they are addicted to Twitter handles, bona-fide citizens of the republic of Facebook; that their favoured, you may argue only, form of interaction is through the social media, where they live in the world of make-believe and 140 characters.

The 2014 HT-MaRS Youth survey on the youth of India reinforces most of our beliefs and re-establishes many of our value-judgments. No surprise there, you could say, based on anecdotal evidence and political pulse.

Look again.There amidst the crowd of confused desis (not

American born, the alphabet has progressed beyond ABCD) is a new generation evolving: the one that believes in the idea of India.

Contrast the results with the 2013 survey. It had Barack Obama written all over it as the biggest political icon for youngsters. Now the defining grammar and idiom is of Modi.

This could be a logical culmination of the quest that was betrayed in the 2013 result: need for a strong leader and yearning for somebody who could modify our genetic defects like cor-ruption and terrorism. Now that the youth have found one, the American O has given way to the

pleasure of a homegrown idol.When youngsters start taking interest in poli-

tics — considered an anathema till recently but now an online trend — it is a clear sign that their intellectual energy is being channelised in the direction of nation-building. Modi’s place of pride in the urban legend — 65% youth across cities find him an inspirational figure — suggests the young have found somebody they believe could turn India around for them and, more importantly, they are willing to back him.

‘Life is short, opportunity fleeting,’ Hippocrates said. So, is this a tipping point in India’s history, an encore of the Jai Prakash moment? Perhaps. You have a generation that believes in a hero, in his dreams and slogans; a generation that believes that somebody is ready to take them past their history of 67 years. A generation that believes problems and corrupt politicians can be fixed.

Anna Hazare let them down after the tumultu-ous sloganeering and Tricolour-waving of 2011. Arvind Kejriwal — whom 13% still idolise — let them down after the high of 2013. Will their cur-rent hero lead this confused, angry, demanding generation to the promised wonder that was and could be India?

And let’s not even begin to talk about Rahul Gandhi, Sushma Swaraj, Nitish Kumar and a whole lot of other politicians who we thought will lead us to the next generation.

Opportunity is fleeting. Past year’s icon Obama has slipped into oblivion. Amitabh Bachchan, the favoured Bollywood icon from the previous survey, doesn’t even find a men-tion this year.

You can add one more trait to the caricature of the young Indian: patience is short, adoration is fleeting. Heroes of 2014 beware!

Y UTH SURVEY

2014

ILLUSTRATION: MALAY KARMAKAR / RAJ K RAJ / SOUMYA KHANDELWAL

youthandtheirmanyfacets

CONSUMERISM: BIG ON BARGAINS

India’s youth succumbs to and denies brand obsession in the same breath. But what everyone loves is a ‘good deal’ >>P0431% 39%Say they are

always on the lookout for bargains

Visit a cafe with a friend of opposite sex

RELATIONSHIPS: LOVE ALL

They are open to relationships in the name of experiments. Their beliefs, however, are full of double standards >>P0835% 61%

Say they’ve cheated on their partner

Think pre-marital sex is no longer a taboo

TRADITIONS: VALUES AND MORE

Most youngsters claim they pray regularly. But those in bigger cities are less faithful than their counterparts in smaller cities >>P1256% 67%

Claim they pray regularly

Say they prefer to live in a joint family

SOCIAL MEDIA: ALWAYS LINKED-IN

In-person interactions are passe, and the young is just an imaginary version of who they are. Nobody’s yet to unplug to connect >>P1657% 34%Say they

access a social networking site daily

Say social media helped their love life

ASPIRATIONS: PURSUING HAPPINESS

Global or local, for India’s youngsters, dreams mean hard work, and early start is already a step ahead in the game >>P2077% 46%

Say they are very happy with life

Say they are worried about their future

ICONS: SUPERHEROES SUPERCLUB

Step aside Kejriwal, PM Modi is Indian political icon. Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif continue to rule hearts >>P2233% 57%

Vote Amitabh Bachchan as Indian film icon

Say Modi is the biggest icon of Indian politics

METHODOLOGY: The survey was carried out among 5,214 urban youth in the 18-25 age group in 15 cities across India — Delhi, Lucknow, Jaipur, and Chandigarh in the north, Kolkata, Patna, Ranchi in the East, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune and Indore in the West, and Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kochi in the South.

POLITICS: CHANGE AGENTS STEP IN

An increasingly engaged young is leading the call for change in India. For them, content is more important than age >>P1883% 36%

Of BJP voters were influenced by Modi

Of Cong voters were influenced by Rahul Gnahdi

SUNDAY, AUGUST 24, 2014 New Delhi

YOUNG INDIA

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B A S E D O N Y O U T H S U R V E Y 2 0 1 4

Big on bargains, alwaysFROM THE AISLES A young Indian woman is more likely to splurge on personal care and grooming, but a man will lavish himself on cellphones, gadgets, movies, etc.

Abhishek Saha ■ [email protected]

A young Indian woman is more likely to splurge on personal care and grooming, but a young Indian man will lavish himself on cellphones, gadgets, movies and coffee shops.

Stereotypes about what the Indian youth consumes and how they spend their money might get a jolt with the findings of this year’s edition of the HT-MaRS Youth Survey, which was conducted among 5,000 respondents in 15 Indian cities.

The survey found that a woman spends `442 per month on an average, while a man spends `329 on personal care and grooming. On an average, men spend `276 per month in cof-fee shops and fast food joints while women spend `240. On movie tickets, men spend `379 while women dole out `331. Men, once again, spend considerably more on cellphones at `462 per month on an average but the data for women is `400.

“There are a lot of things in and around us that we attribute to gender dif-ferences, and hold them against women. People tend to stereotype, often in a sex-ist manner, that women gossip, women shop, women are spendthrifts, and women are dumb. The truth is something differ-ent, and the survey results throw light on that,” says 25-year-old Nishtha Singh, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow, and the owner of a handicrafts company.

The survey also breaks myths about the geography of spending. The most “extrav-

agant” youth are not in Delhi or Mumbai but in Ahmedabad, where young people spent an average of `2,624 monthly on themselves. Delhi’s youth spent `2,277 and Mumbai’s `2,257.

The least “materialistic” youth are in Kolkata, where the spending was around `1,400 on an average in a month.

“Brand projection and availability play an important role in the consumerist aspirations of the youth. And in Kolkata, I feel, these are weak. That’s perhaps a major issue why consumer brand penetration is less in the city,” says Sreyan Ghosh (24), an architect from Kolkata, who is doing a post-graduate course at the National Institute of Design in Bangalore.

India’s youth seem to spending more and more on one thing though: cellphones. In 2012, the average amount spent per month was `318, in 2013 it was `348, and this year it increased to `435. Enough to call them spendthrifts?

PEOPLE TEND TO STEREOTYPE, OFTEN IN A SEXIST MANNER, THAT WOMEN GOSSIP, SHOP, THAT THEY ARE SPENDTHRIFTS ETC. THE TRUTH, HOWEVER, IS VERY DIFFERENT


htspecialpYOUNG INDIA YOUTH & CONSUMERISM

04 | HINDUSTAN TIMES, NEW DELHISUNDAY, AUGUST 24, 2014

(Figures represent average monthly spend)

YOU THOUGHT WOMEN SPLURGE, MEN SAVE. REALLY?GUESS WHAT? THE BIG SPENDERS ARE NOT FROM THE BIGGEST CITIES OF THE COUNTRY

KOLK

ATA

BAN

GLO

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BAD

PATN

A

COCH

IN

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LUCK

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I

JAIP

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MU

MBA

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`1,439`1,616 `1,651 `1,756 `1,768 `1,844`1,933

`2,020 `2,075 `2,151`2,301

`2,499`2,624

`2,257 `2,277

`2,624

Overall personal expense

Women Men

`1,876 `2,152

GOOD-DEAL HUNTERS BRANDS AND MOREStudents

Part-time employed

Fully employed

Students

Part-time employed

Fully employed

Students

Part-time employed

Fully employed

Students

Part-time employed

Fully employed

Say they want to be rich enough to buy anything Say they like to flaunt high-fashion brand

Want to keep up with the latest fashion trendsSay they are always on the lookout for bargains

64% 47%

52%

38%

47%

38%

40%

34%

30%

31%

54%

55%

2,624Average total monthly pocket expenses of youth in Ahmedabad. A youngster in Delhi, in comparison, spent `2,277, while one in Kolkata spent only `1,439

32%Women said they are always on the lookout for bargains while making their shopping decisions. Men, too, aren't too far behind on this. 30% of them said they're always looking for a cheap deal

56%Youngsters in Delhi made some unaffordable purchases this year. Nationwide, 50% men indulged in such purchases as compared to 52% women.

A HINDUSTAN TIMES-MaRS POLL

Paramita Ghosh ■ [email protected]

The survey has thrown up dif-ferent responses to consumer-ism. India’s young are happy shoppers but protest they are not being consumerist. There will be broad similarities of consumerist behaviour but the specific char-acterestics of that behaviour will be different. While consumption has become a big determinant of identity, the youth is not always conscious of it.

Do you think the average Indian youth is a conscious shopper?Purchases are often made by youngsters because a particular item is identified as a status sym-bol, or because it is thought ‘cool’ by the peer group, or because oth-ers in the group are buying it or have it.

Take the example of an Apple iPhone: it is a prized item not because of what you can do with it in life, but because of what it is — an aspirational product for most youngsters.

India’s youth have begun to invest in themselves, especially in items of personal grooming. How do you explain this?Interestingly, India’s youngsters now consider themselves as assets. It’s no more about being from a good family. It’s now about who I am. You are more likely to say I am an IT student, than say ‘I come from a family of doc-tors’, or that ‘I am a stu-dent of animation’. And the instrumental part of that identity is the body or activities around it. And the body is malleable, it can be given shape to, it’s about controlling your des-tiny, putting best foot forward.

Gym spending seems to be on par with expenses on clothing or spending on high-fashion

brands. What do you have to say about that?It is not a question of fash-ion versus gym — the youth’s dependence on both is a different expression of the same behaviour. Consumption is driven by what they think is personal identity: what they can buy, they will.

At 51%, Delhi tops the survey among

youngsters who visit coffee-places with friends from among the oppo-site sex. Coffee-drinking seems to

be on the rise every-where?

There are still

very few public areas for young people to interact, even in urban areas. Spaces are coded. Sitting in the park or going into a five-star restaurant mean different things. In a small-town, going in to a res-taurant for dinner also comes with a different set of meanings. If you are seen inside a coffee shop, it’s not the end of the world. It is a private space in a public arena; it is assumed that for a couple sitting inside a coffee shop, not too much money is being spent, even if it is one person spending it. So, the spending on coffee-shops is more to do with the lack of public spaces for young.

The youth in smaller towns and cities that are not A-list cities are also living it up.The latter are more eager for change... Restaurants in these places reach full occupancy on weekends. ‘Eating out’ means leisure, entertain-ment, it fulfils many aspirations.

htspecialpYOUNG INDIA


YOUTH & CONSUMERISM

HT Correspondent ■ [email protected]

There is something brewing among India’s youth: the coffee shop. Don’t rush to assume that they are all canoodling over coffee though.

The findings of the survey have thrown light on how young men and women go out and have a good time in the cities. According to survey, 46% of Ranchi’s youth prefer to visit coffee shops alone, without a friend.

“Ranchi’s culture is not as liberal as it is in Delhi or Mumbai. Parents in Ranchi are not as open-minded as their counterparts in a metro city. Add to it the socio-economic scenario of the state (Jharkhand). The youth often grows up with quite a conserva-tive mindset and it stays with them much later into their life. And that’s why this trend of not visiting cafes as a couple,”

says 23-year-old Abhinav Dey, a financial consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers and hails from Ranchi.

On the contrary, young people in Delhi and Jaipur seldom visit a coffee shop alone, survey says. As many as 51% of Delhi’s youth visit coffee shops with a friend of the opposite gender, while 54% of Jaipur’s young people go there with a friend of the same gender.

Coffee shops are most popular among young people in Pune and Bangalore, where

there are four visits in a month on an average. The survey has an interesting finding on coffee shops and

gender: the percentage of women visiting cafes accompanied by a male friend is more than vice-versa. As many as 42% of women visit coffee shops with a man while only 36% of men go with a woman. A higher percentage of men visit cafes alone (38%) than women do (28%).

Also, in the age group of 22-25, both men and women visit cafes more frequently than their counterparts in the age group of 18-21.

“In today’s world, the youth is on the move, 24X7, and a quick visit to the coffee shop with a friend is one of the best respites from the tribulations of our busy lives. For that, coffee shops appeal to the modern working woman as well as the socialite in me,” says Kripa Ramachandran, a 23-year-old advocate at the Madras High Court. “But, on the other hand,” Kripa con-tinues, “frequent cafe visits are also a reflection of changing times, of changing socio-cultural practices.”

Coffee is brewing among the youth

Sanya Panwar ■ [email protected]

From cowboys and farmers to presidents and housewives, people world-over love and wear this versatile piece of clothing that was once at the bottom of the fashion food chain but has now reached the tippity top. In India, ‘denim love’ is nowhere stronger than in Ahmedabad, where men own an average of 6.2 pairs of jeans, compared to a national average of 4.4, accord-ing to the survey.

But it seems that men in Ahmedabad cannot have enough of them, buying up more jeans than their counterparts in other Indian cities. They were on top even in the last survey in 2013: they bought an average 2.8 pairs of jeans, against a national aver-age of 2.1.

On the other end of the scale are men from Kolkata and Hyderabad who seem quite happy to let their old jeans grow into a second skin. On an average, they owned only 2.7 and 2.8 pairs of denims respec-tively. They purchased less as well, picking up only 1.8 pairs in 2013, the lowest among all Indian cities, barring, surpris-

ingly, Chandigarh, a cash-rich, modern aspiring city where its young men bought only 1.7 pairs of jeans last year.

And if you thought that fash-ion was the forte of only the urban, natty crowd, you will be pleasantly surprised.

Edging out biggies Delhi (4.3), Mumbai and Chennai (4.9, each) were Pune and Patna, where the men currently own 5.7 and 5.6 denims respectively. They also bought 2.4 and 2 pairs in 2013.

Again, it’s men from smaller cities such as Ranchi, Cochin, Jaipur and Indore, who owned

between 3.4 and 4.4 pairs of denims, that seem to be more fashion-conscious than those in the metros Kolkata, Hyderbad or even Bangalore (3.9).

Young men from Chennai bought the maximum number of denims last year at 3.2, which is one pair more than the coun-try-wide average. Both Delhi and Mumbai averaged at 2.0 on this count.

Indore’s young purchased the least number of denimwws last year at 1.4.The survey sample included only men in the age group of 18-25 years.

Fashion-conscious men in Ahmedabad own most jeans


When it comes to make-up brands, young Indian women actually aren’t using that many; they are sticking to just about four. And that would include everything from your high-end lipstick, foun-dation, blusher and mascara to day-to-day beauty products like moisturiser and lip balm.

On an average 18 to 21-year-olds have 4.2 cosmetic brands and purchased 3.2 in the past one year, the HT-Mars Youth Survey 2014 revealed. Those in the 22-25 years bracket more or less imitate the trend and own 4.3 brands and bought 3.6 in 2013.

When it comes to choosing between value for money and top-end brands, young Indian women seem to be divided.

“I don’t spend hundreds of rupees on the latest lip gloss; I stick to products that suit me. But I don’t mind spending on prod-ucts that help avoid bad skin or acne. They are expensive; but it’s money well spent,” says engineer-ing student Ekta Khatana, 19.

But 22-year-old Navjot Kaur swears by branded cosmetics. She says that she isn’t one of those who ‘own over-stuffed

make-up bags’, but actually uses all the cosmetics she buys.

“I never go nail paint-free, even for a single day. But I splurge on hair products and eye make-up more,” says Kaur, a self-proclaimed high-maintenance law student from Delhi. The data doesn’t reflect how many women, and of what age, use branded lipstick every day but it does throw some light on what seems to be the great north-south divided when it comes to the love of cosmetics.

Turns out, women in Delhi (5.9) and Mumbai (5.8) love their

make-up more than women in Chennai (2.3) who have the least appetite for cosmetics. In the aver-age number of brands purchased in 2013, Delhi and Mumbai again rule with 4.4 and 4.8 respectively.

Chennai women also bought the least number of cosmetic brands in 2013 - less than two (1.8). Giving it company is another southern metropolis, Hyderabad with a tally of 2.6 cos-metics per woman on an average.

Women in Chandigarh (5), Ahmedabad (5) and even Patna (4.9) know their Maybellines from their Lakmes.

Vanity fare: How many cosmetic brands do young women own?

MORE WOMEN VISIT A CAFE WITH A FRIEND OF OPPOSITE SEX THAN MEN. IN FACT, MORE MEN (38%) GO TO A COFFEE SHOP ALONE THAN WOMEN (28%)

› I LIKE GOING TO MALLS, SITTING AT

FOOD COURTS, AND LOOKING AROUND FOR STUFF. IF I LIKE SOMETHING, AND THEY DON’T ALWAYS HAVE TO BE EXPENSIVE BUYS, I JUST HAVE TO GET IT. I CAN BE QUITE RESOURCEFULISHA BAND, 22, student

› MY MONTHLY EXPENSES ARE

WITHIN `4,000. FOR A STUDENT, RECESSION MEANS NOTHING. I DO OFTEN GO TO A COFFEE SHOP, SOMETIMES EVERY ALTERNATE DAY. I’M NOT THAT MUCH INTO GADGETSCHETAN TALWAR, 20, student

theysaid

IT’S ALL IN THE JEANS

6.2Ahmedabad

2.7Kolkata3.2Chennai

1.4Indore

AVERAGE NUMBER OF DENIM TROUSERS MEN ALREADY POSSESS (maximum/minimum)

AVERAGE NUMBER OF DENIM TROUSERS PUR-CHASED IN PAST ONE YEAR(maximum/minimum)

MAKE-UP YOUR MIND

5.9Delhi

2.3Chennai4.8Chennai

1.8Indore

AVERAGE NUMBER OF COSMETIC BRANDS WOMEN CURRENTLY POSSESS(maximum/minimum)

AVERAGE NUMBER OF BRANDS PURCHASED IN THE PAST ONE YEAR(maximum/minimum)

I N T E R V I E W S A N T O S H D E S A I , CEO and MD, Futurebrands

Youth often purchase items identified as status symbols

Men Women

COFFEE AND CONVERSATIONSMORE NUMBER OF WOMEN PREFER TO GO TO A CAFE WHEN THEY ARE WITH A FRIEND OF OPPOSITE SEX

Average number of café visits in a month (maximum/minimum)

VISITED A CAFE WITH A FRIEND OF THE OPPOSITE GENDER

Visited a cafe alone

Visited a cafe with friend of same sex

Jaipur 1.2

Pune/Bangalore 4.1

Ranchi

Jaipur

Ranchi

Jaipur

46%

54%

21%

18%

Visited a cafe with friend of opposite sex

Delhi

Jaipur

51%

28%

36% 42%Men Women


Preferences versus beliefs DICHOTOMY India’s Generation Next is open to relationships and experiments. However, its beliefs are full of double standards and its mind traditional

Jyoti Sharma Bawa ■ [email protected]

India’s youth have changed. We witness this transformation every day — in colleges, coffee shops, offices, malls and multiplexes. From the way they dress to the way they talk to what they talk about — it is all different. But scratch beneath the surface and the differences melt away to reveal a generation which still breathes a code India has always sworn by.

So, how does the ‘www generation’ straddle these two vastly different worlds — one bound by tradition and the other pushing towards modernity? Their solution is to come up with beliefs that are full of dichotomies and double standards.

Sample this: The HT-MaRS Youth Survey reveals an unprec-edented 61% believe that pre-marital sex is no longer a taboo. Only, when it comes to marriage, 63% want their partners to be virgins. “Men today are not hesitant about entering into a

relationship before marriage. However, they would hardly entertain the idea of marrying a woman who has a past,” says Avneesh Murugai, a fine arts student in Baroda. “It is this patriarchal mind-set that gives rise to crime against women. A man believes that a woman is like his property.” Last year, 56% youngsters in the 18-25 age group said pre-marital sex is no longer a taboo. The figure showed a 5% increase this year.

Of those who said yes, 62% were men while 60% were women.

“Women in India today are far more in tune with their sexual-ity. Men will have to up their game and change their perspective to catch up with the new woman,” says Delhi-based psychiatrist Sanjay Chugh.

“Earlier there was a certain hesitance when they would dis-cuss issues related to sex even with a doctor. However, today sex is being openly discussed.”

The acceptance for pre-marital sex goes down as youngsters age. While 63% of those in 18-21 age segment is open to the idea, the number drops down to 59% in 21-25 age-group.

The same trend is apparent when an occupation-wise analysis is done. While 65% full-time students said sex before marriage was no longer an issue, the number fell to 61% in case of part-time students. Only 54% people who are fully employed are of this view. Last year, the same figures stood at 59%, 53% and 49% respectively.

INDIAN YOUTH’S WORLD IS DIVIDED INTO TWO — ONE HALF BOUND BY TRADITION AND THE OTHER PUSHING TOWARDS MODERNITY


htspecialpYOUNG INDIA YOUTH & RELATIONSHIPS


IN LOVE FOR EVERPERCENTAGE OF YOUNGSTERS WHO SAY THEY’RE IN A RELATIONSHIP

KOLK

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SLEEPLESS IN THE CITY

67% 67%63%

58%55% 55% 53%

51% 50%

44%41%

36% 35%32%

28%

Students

Students

Part-time students

Part-time students

Fully employed

Fully employed

Say pre-marital sex is no longer a big issue in India

Say they want to get married only to virgins

59% 53% 49%65% 61% 54%

67% 57% 64%64% 58% 62%

2013 2014VIRGIN TERRITORYMen Women

Should sex toys be made availa-ble in India?

26%

21%

Watching por-nography isn’t a big taboo any more. C’mon, we are in 2014!

32%

15%

Homosexuality is an acceptable sexual preference now

43%

43%

45%of respondents in Chandigarh said they’ve cheated on their partner in the past year. Only 21% of Kolkatans said they’ve strayed from their committed relationship

46%The percentage of participants who said they are comfortable with live-in relationships. In 2013, 44% of the respondents said they are fine with such an arrangement

87%Percentage of men who said the wife shouldn't be allowed the freedom for flings even if the husband strays. Surprisingly, women, too, don't think any differently. Only 36% women said the wife should be given this freedom



The number of youngsters who accept that they are in a relation-ship is on an upswing — 49% being the national average. Out of them, however, only 24% say they are “very much” in love with their boyfriend/girlfriend.

While the Chandigarh youth top the chart when it comes to cheating (45%), Delhi is not far behind at 41%. In Mumbai, 30% have cheated on their partners while 37% say they have strayed while in a relationship in Chennai. For Bangalore and Hyderabad, the figures stand 29% and 31% at respectively.

Cities, which are seen as comparatively more conservative, such as Lucknow (28%), Patna (31%), Jaipur (34%), Ranchi (27%) and Ahmedabad (27%), the number of the unfaithful is signifi-

cant. Pune, where only 44% respondents accepted they were in a relationship, is at the bottom of the cheats list (25%).

More men admitted to cheating (35%) than women (27%). Cheating is also less prevalent in the 21-25 age group (26%) compared to those in the 18-21 olds (36%).

While 34% full-time students say they have cheated on their partners, the number goes down to 30% in case of part-timers. Only 19% of those who are fully employed say they have cheated on their partner.

Says Mumbai-based sexologist Deepak Jumani, “Earlier, marriage was about find-ing the best mate in terms of financial secu-

rity and social strata. Those rules are not applicable any more. Both men and women want to experiment and find compatibility in every sense — emotional, physical and sexual.

“Embarking on a relationship does not mean youngsters have marriage on their mind. Whether it is a one-night stand, a casual relationship or living-in, commitment does not have to be on the agenda.”

However, the dos and don’ts are far more hard-bound when it comes to the institution of marriage. Of those surveyed, 89% feel straying out of marriage cannot be forgiven (84% men, 94% women) and 25% believe if a man strays, he should let his wife do that too. Out of this figure, 13% are male and 36% women.

While 92% full-time students find extra-marital relationships unforgivable, 88% of those who are fully employed and part-time students are against such relationships.

Jyoti Sharma Bawa ■ [email protected]

Best-selling author Anuja Chauhan talks about relation-ships, how youth in India inter-prets them and important takea-ways from the HT Youth Survey. She is the author of The Zoya Factor (2008), Battle For Bittora (2010) and Those Pricey Thakur Girls (2013).

Our youth survey suggests that an increasing majority of youngsters have a partner, but they don’t

necessarily love them. What does it speak of about India’s youth? It can either mean they are more cynical or more romantic. If they are still waiting for love to come their way, they have set up a very high definition of love. Maybe they believe it is not love yet, it is still waiting for them out there.

I would choose to believe that. However, the survey does reveal that youngsters are far more forthcoming and frank while talking about relationships, as reflected in these answers.

Do you think the young in India is confused or have double stand-ards: they don’t mind having a fling outside a relationship, but expect their partner to be a virgin; they are fine with premarital sex, but a majority say divorce is not an option even if the marriage is not working.I thought the youth today was very chilled out and understand-ing that people will have a few relation-ships and they will eventual ly set t le down with one per-son. Everyone has a past and one should not set unrealistic standards for the other person. You should expect your significant other to be faithful to you from the day he/she

met you. How can someone be faithful to you without having met you yet?

Indian youngsters, especially men, are often accused of being com-

mitment phobic. What could it be attributed to?

Men these days think they are big catches and run away from commit-ment. They feel women are out just to snare them. They must be pricing themselves

very highly, which is very funny. Girls today are prettier, smarter

and more intelligent than boys. We see

girls outshin-i n g b o y s

consist-

ently in Class 12 results. Even at parties, you see girls who are gorgeous and these unshaven, unkempt boys. Boys really need to up their game.

What would be your message to India’s youngsters.I don’t think youngsters should try to please anybody – neither their parents nor their family. They should go with the person who makes them happy and not try to make anyone happy. If you want someone who is decisive, honest and loving, you should not tone down your standards. At the same time, you should ensure you are worthy of that kind of love so that you can give the same in return. There are a lot of cynical people out there who will say you can never get the exact combina-tion of person you are looking for – someone who loves you, who is worthy, who earns well etc. But you should look for that person.

Everyone has a past, and one needs to accept this

The name of the game: Experiment


In any discussion with for-eigners about the ‘regressive’ practice of arranged marriage, Indians always have a safe plank to fall back upon: the extremely low rates of divorce in India. “How come love marriages cannot achieve that?” being a favourite repartee.

India, especially urban India, has much higher acceptance of love marriages nowadays but one thing that has not changed is low tolerance levels for divorce. In the HT-MaRS Youth Survey, 53% youth from 15 Indian cities said divorce is just not an option.

Why would a youngster want to stick in a relationship which is not going anywhere?

The answer is simple: mar-riage in India is between two families, not just two individuals.

“Relationships are transi-tional. There is no social sanction needed to get into one or leave it. Marriage is between two fami-lies and not two people. You need familial approval and you end up hurting a lot of people if you opt out of it, especially if children are involved,” says 25-year-old Zeeshan Siddiqui.

“I have had a few relationships till date but marriage will be for keeps. I will do whatever it takes to make it work.”

While 52% of men say divorce is unacceptable, 54% of women share the view.

Marriage remains a sacrosanct institution and divorce still comes with a stigma. As 21-year-old Arushi Dhunna says, “Divorce is not an option even if your mar-riage goes wrong. Problems arise in each and every relationship – it does not mean you move out of them. In case of marriage, you just have to make it work at any cost.”

In the 18-21 age group, 55% of those surveyed shared her opin-

ion while the number was 52% in the 21-25 age-group.

While 55% of those fully employed were against seeking a divorce, the figure stood at 52% in case of part-time students. Fifty-three per cent part-time students said divorce is not an option.

Delhi-based student, 21-year-old Vidhi Arora explains it thus, “Middle class society still feels that they may not be very rich but they have their morals. That’s the reason why divorce or straying out of marriage is a taboo. You may see Kareena marrying Saif, but you don’t see such couples in middle class India. It is just like any other relationship.”

Divorce ‘unacceptable’ even if marriage is not working


A gentle wind of change is blow-ing away the Indian youth’s petty prudishness. Be it accepting homosexuality or live-in rela-tionships, more youngsters are displaying a greater openness towards these issues in what is still a largely conservative and traditional society.

While much of the change has been driven by western influences and growing econom-ic opportunities, the judiciary has also played a positive role in legitimising changing social mores like live-in relationships.

And homosexuality, that butt of all jokes, is slowly but steadily finding acceptance.

The results of HT Youth Survey prove it – if last year only 44% were comfortable with the idea of a live-in, the number this year is 46%.

The numbers are far more positive in case of homosexual-ity. While only 37% thought it was an acceptable sexual pref-erence in 2013, the number is 43% this year. The change is obvious only among the young, though.

“My peer group can accept

my sexuality. They know who I am and they are okay with it. But I just don’t have the guts to go home and tell my family about my sexual preferences. I have relatives who happily poke fun of gays. You think they can accept me?” asks 21-year-old Syed Z.

While 41% in the 18-21 years age group are accepting, the fig-ure stands at 45% in those 21 and beyond. Both men and women are equally accepting (43%).

The acceptance for homosexu-ality decreased as youth went from being students to fully

employed – 45% students found it an acceptable sexual prefer-ence while only 40% part-time students thought so. In case of those fully employed, only 38% of those surveyed took this standpoint.

“Your sexuality is your per-sonal choice. Nobody should be allowed to dictate whom you should love and why. Law and society needs to be changed to accommodate a very large percentage of people who are forced to live in the closet,” says Yukti Arora, an 18-year-old Delhi University student said.

Homosexuality finds acceptance while live-in not a taboo anymore

htspecialpYOUNG INDIA YOUTH & RELATIONSHIPS

MORE MEN ADMIT TO CHEATING (35%) THAN WOMEN (27%) AND 19% OF THOSE WHO ARE FULLY EMPLOYED SAY THEY HAVE CHEATED ON THEIR PARTNER


› DIVORCE IS NOT AN OPTION EVEN IF

YOUR MARRIAGE IS NOT WORKING. THERE ARE PROBLEMS IN EVERY RELATIONSHIP. YOU CANNOT SIMPLY RUN AWAY FROM THEM ALL. JUST MAKE IT WORKAARUSHI DHUNNA, 21, student

› INDIA’S MIDDLE CLASS IS VERY PROUD OF ITS

MORAL VALUES. YOU MAY SEE A KAREENA KAPOOR MARRYING AN ALREADY-MARRIED SAIF. SUCH THINGS ARE VERY RARE IN AN OTHERWISE NORMAL WORLD VIDDHI ARORA, 21, student

theysaid

I N T E R V I E W A N U JA C H A U H A N , Author

TILL DEATH DO US APART

53%Students

54%Part-time students

55%Fully-employed

SAY THAT DIVORCE IS NOT AN OPTION EVEN IF MARRIAGE IS NOT WORKING OUT

LIVE-IN TOGETHER

41%18-21 years

41%18-21 years

50%22-25 years

45%22-25 years

SAY THEY ARE COMFORTABLE WITH LIVE-IN RELATIONSHIPS

SAY HOMOSEXU-ALITY IS AN ACCEPTABLE SEXUAL PREFERENCE

Women

SAY THEY’VE CHEATED ON THEIR PARTNERS

SAY THEY LOVE THEIR PARTNER A LOT

SAY THAT CASUAL SEX OUTSIDE MARRIAGE SHOULDN’T BE FORGIVEN

HAVING FUN BEHIND THE BACK

MADE FOR EACH OTHER, REALLY?

Chandigarh Men

Men Age 18-21 years Full-time students

Women Age 22-25 years Employed

WomenKolkata

45% 84%

21% 94%

26% 25% 18%22% 24% 49%


A nation of young faithfuls DIVINE INTERVENTION The percentage of youth who pray increases as they grow older, but those in bigger cities pray less compared to the young in smaller cities

Vishakha Saxena ■ [email protected]

India’s youth pray regularly and their faith in the almighty increases as they grow older: for a nation of several religions and millions of gods and goddesses that’s not surprising.

The HT-MaRS Youth Survey, which was conducted among more than 5,000 respondents in 15 Indian cities, found faith firmly entrenched among the young. Ranchi and Ahmedabad appear to have the most faithful young people: in these cities 67% of the youth said they pray regularly. In Cochin, 40% of youngsters said they pray regularly: compare that to the national average of 56%.

“India is a very religious country. Even the most successful entrepreneurs tend to be very religious,” says author and com-mentator Gurcharan Das, who wrote ‘The Difficulty of Being Good: On the subtle art of dharma’, a book which analyses the epic Mahabharata.

As many as 85% of Indians in the country follow Hinduism, a religion which has 33 crore gods. This kind of diversity makes space for everyone to worship a god of their choice. “Our notion of religion is kind of a way of life and not based on fundamentalist belief,” says Das, who believes that in India the concept of faith is far more liberal.

There is, however, a clear demographic divide. Youngsters in tier I cities like Kolkata, Pune and Bangalore pray less compared to their compatriots in Ranchi, Lucknow and Indore.

According to experts, people in smaller cities tend to be more traditional which makes them more religious. In major urban centres, they tend to get absorbed in many other things and thus tend to spend lesser time on religious practices. “Prayer never worked for me,” says Sanket Vijay, 22, a student in Delhi, talking about how he isn’t religious despite his family’s beliefs.

Interestingly, the survey reveals that the percentage of youngsters who pray regularly increases as they grow older. As many as 62% youngsters between 22-25 years said they were religious as com-pared to 50% of their counterparts in the 18-21 age bracket. Some say the reason behind such a trend would be that with increasing burdens and setbacks, people tend to look for something to hold on to.

Given how religion is ingrained into India’s social fabric and is liberal enough to allow everyone to “live and let live” the trend seems to be here to stay.

As Das puts it, “no god can afford to be jealous.”

ABOUT 85% OF PEOPLE IN INDIA FOLLOW HINDUISM, WHICH HAS 33 CRORE GODS. THIS DIVERSITY MAKES SPACE FOR EVERYONE TO WORSHIP A GOD OF THEIR CHOICE


htspecialpYOUNG INDIA YOUTH AND TRADITIONS


90%in the 18-21 age group said they want to get married in a traditional way, complete with all the rituals and ceremonies, rather than go to a court to formalise it. The numbers are almost similar among men and women, 85% and 92%, respectively

38%said they would call off a marriage if dowry is involved. Chennai's respondents scored the most on this count: 71% in the city said they won't go ahead with it. Indore (22%), Chandigarh (25%) and Patna (28%) populate the bottom half on this scale

70%of the total respondents said one should never smoke in front of elders. The need to maintain strong family bonds (79%) and always listen to elders (68%) too got a thum bs up from India's youngsters

WITH A PRAYERTHOSE WHO SAY THEY PRAY REGULARLY

AHMEDABAD/RANCHI

LUCKNOW/DELHI

INDORE/JAIPUR

CHANDIGARH /CHENNAI

MUMBAI PATNA BANGALORE HYDERABAD/KOLKATA

PUNE COCHIN

69% 67%63%

60%56%

50% 48%45%

41% 40%

A KNOTTY AFFAIR ALL IN THE STARS

Will walk out of a marriage if dowry is invovled

Men

Women

37%

39%

Respondents age 18-21 yrs


90% 88%

Selected by self, even if parents object

Men

Women

6%

3%

Selected by self, with no objection from your parents

Men

Women

35%

WILL MARRY A PERSON

Selected by parents without question

Men

Women

32%

48%

22% Want several ceremonies during marriage celebrations



47% 46%

Prefer religious rituals over court proceedings

Say they strongly believe in astrology

Say they believe in power yoga to keep body fit

31%Men

28%18-21 years

42%Men

38%Women

41%22-25 years

52%Women


Poulomi Banerjee ■ [email protected]

If you thought India’s young is drifting away from all things tra-ditional, think again. Professor Re nu k a S i n g h o f D e l h i ’s Jawaharlal Nehru University talks about the constant strug-gle in the mind of a youngster caught between modernity and values that make us Indians.

How traditional is today’s youth? Also, do they believe in preserving Indian traditions?

I think this will vary from region to region and specially in the rural urban divide. Social and class backgrounds also play a role. But generally speaking, you could say the youth today are try-ing to synthesise tradition and modernity and modifying them according to context.

Is there a difference in how girls and boys react to traditions? Women or girls are seen as trans-mitters of tradition to the next generation, so their roles also become very significant. One has

to see to what extent women have changed their role. So today if you have a working mother, she’s going to have a different impact on the children. And even though they violate it occasionally, they still maintain a pro-family ide-ology. Now this would vary with their social and class backgrounds, but generally speaking, women are the ones who are transmitting the culture from one gen-eration to another. Now, the men have also come into the picture. So eventually both men and women are going to be responsible for transmitting culture and traditions.

Who is more tradi-tional: the youth in cities or those in smaller towns? Young people in

rural areas are generally more traditional than their urban counterparts. That’s because their contexts are very differ-ent, situations more limited and exposure is less.The orthodoxy

is stronger in rural areas. So obviously

the impact will also be different.

You see here you have a mixed crowd, you are exposed to so many

different tradi-tions, there are

multiple

realities. So you absorb so much from each other’s traditions as well. If you take the example of Delhi, our political capital, you have people from all over the world who are residing here. So there is lot of assimilation hap-pening from each other’s cultures. The pace of change is faster in a metropolis than in a rural area.

Which are the Indian traditions that need to change and what role does the youth play in bringing about this change?

I think you have to leave behind these inter-religious tensions, inter-caste tensions, inter-class tensions. Young people are the ones who are known for actually believing in instant utopias, they want to change the world over-

night. And they are the force, they are the power and if they

have the will, they are the ones who are going to bring about change in our society.

Women and girls are seen as transmitters of tradition

htspecialpYOUNG INDIA


YOUTH AND TRADITIONS


Marriage is made for forever and divorce is the last and bitter option, India’s youth believe. As many as 67% believe that women should try and save their marriage before opting for divorce. As many as 79% women agree with the opinion compared to 56% men.

The findings come from the HT-MaRS Youth Survey, which was conducted among over 5,000 respondents in 15 Indian cities.

Sociologist Nandini Sardesai and Shilpa Phadke, assistant professor at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, say the findings are not surprising considering the stigma associated with divorce.

A common belief is that a ‘divorced daughter’ would bring embarrassment and unhappiness to her parents. According to Sardesai, economic instability is another big reason behind women wanting to save the marriage despite being unhappy. “If

I can be economically secure then damn the man, no?”

The survey also reveals that as young people grow older, they lay stress on the need to make the marriage work.

India ranks among the countries with the lowest divorce rates, with only one out of 100 Indians opting for divorce. Despite that, the number of divorce cases is stead-ily going up in the country, especially in urban areas.

Dr Nisha Khanna, a marriage counsel-lor, regards this as a positive sign. “Increasing divorce rate is a good thing because sometimes two people stick around for the sake of society and kids, which is not right. A couple should be together only if they want to,” says Khanna. “Forced togetherness leads to dysfunctional families which in turn lead to dysfunctional kids.”

Visiting a therapist is another taboo. No matter how educated they may be, many Indians still feel odd about visiting a doctor or a therapist and discussing their personal matters with a ‘stranger’.

It’s no secret that the Indian society is strongly patriarchal and thus, the onus of making the marriage work often falls on women.

But, according to Dr Khanna, the pattern seems to be chang-ing and an increasing number of couples are trying to make the marriage work together. The results though may not always be successful.

“Sometimes the problem is not the marriage but of those involved who are unhappy and blame the marriage for their unhappiness.”

For them, divorce still the last resort


As many as 68% of India’s youth say they always listen to elders and 70% would never smoke in front of them. The youth are no radical rebels, the HT-MaRS Youth Survey points this out clearly.

An overwhelming 96% young-sters told the survey they wouldn’t marry the person they like if their parents disapproved of their choice. As many as 62% young-sters believe that Indian traditions needed to be preserved. As many as 70% youngsters in the 22-25 age bracket agree that we need to pre-serve Indian traditions as against 55% in the 18-21 year age gr oup.

“Middle-class students are far more conformists,” says Shilpa Phadke, assistant professor at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

The figures are quite similar when it comes to the youth’s atti-tude towards family ties and the elderly. As many as 79% of them said they wanted to maintain strong family bonds.

“I am not surprised at all by these findings. That the young are some kind of rebels was always a myth. Modernity is a form of intelligent courage, and as we know intelligence and co urage

are not related to age. The young expect much from life, that’s just the way they are, they can’t help it, and when you expect things you tend to be afraid, and when you are afraid there is comfort in tradition and family,” says author Manu Joseph.

For a generation living in cramped cities, 67% youngsters said they preferred joint families. The figure was highest in Delhi at 80% and lowest in Cochin at 45%.

According to Sardesai, young-sters prefer joint families perhaps out of affection for their relatives but they don’t realise the chal-

lenges associated with it.The youth’s affinity towards

traditions is, however, most promi-nent in their acceptance that par-ents will decide whom they marry. A major reason behind this is that most youngsters live with their families until marriage and they are not economically independent.

“They would rather bow to authority than lose these privi-leges,” explains Phadke talking specifically about the middle class.

“Today’s youngsters are the most economically privileged than any other generation ever has been.”

Against the system always, but never too much of rebels


As many as 38% youngsters in India would ‘break their marriage’ if dowry was involved: the number shouldn’t shock us considering that the practice is one of the worst crimes against women in the coun-try. Last year, 793 dowry cases were recorded across 53 cities.

The survey found that opposi-tion to dowry was strongest in Chennai. In this city, 71% young-sters said they would ‘break their marriage’ if dowry is involved. Indore, at 22%, recorded the least opposition to dowry.

Sociologist Nandini Sardesai regards these figures as not “too low”, but as a positive sign. “This is a big change in India,” she says explaining how dowry originated.

Historically, dowry was meant to be financial security for the bride — a father’s gift for his daughter. The concept of exchang-ing gifts within families during marriages exists worldwide, but in India gifts have become a ‘demand’. “In a country where patriarchy has an over-arching presence in the social structure, men have gone on to think they have a right over it,” says Sardesai.

Demands for dowry range from

cash, cars or jewellery before mar-riage to periodic demands after marriage.

A harmless expression of love and affection has over time become an evil that claims the life of a woman every hour in the country. It is thus not a surprise that more young women (39%) say they will call off their marriage if the groom or his family asks for dowry. The figure stands at 37% when it comes to men.

According to experts, dowry is still entrenched because women lack economic stability and there is stigma attached to divorces and

broken marriages.This is apparent in the survey

results for tier II cities like Indore and Chandigarh where 22% and 25% youngsters said they would break the marriage over dowry. Meanwhile, in tier I cities like Pune and Bangalore, the number stood at 47% and 40% respectively.

Sardesai blames India’s edu-cation and the lack of awareness about dowry laws. “We are still holding on to a very traditional form of learning. Our education system is not bringing about the change in mindset and thinking that one would expect of it.”

They raise their voice against the biggest evil: Dowry

INDIA RANKS AMONG COUNTRIES WITH THE LOWEST DIVORCE RATES, WITH ONLY ONE OUT OF 100 INDIANS OPTING FOR DIVORCE

› WE NEED TO DO AWAY WITH REGRESSIVE

TRADITIONS LIKE DOWRY SYSTEM. OUR NEGATIVE ATTITUDE TOWARDS REMARRIAGE FOR THE OLDER PEOPLE TOO MUST CHANGE. MEN AND WOMEN SHOULD HAVE EQUAL FREEDOM TO FIND THEIR OWN PARTNERSMUDIT SOOD, 22, law student

›I COME FROM A LIBERAL FAMILY. HOWEVER,

CERTAIN THINGS SUCH AS BEING CLOSE TO THE FAMILY ARE INGRAINED IN ME. ALSO, I PREFER SOME TRADITIONS SUCH AS THE INDIAN NAMASTE TO A HANDSHAKE. MADHURIMA CHAUDHURI, 21 student

theysaid

I N T E R V I E W R E N U K A S I N G H , professor of sociology, Jawaharlal Nehru University

DOWRY SYNDROMESAY THEY’LL CALL OFF MAR-RIAGE IF DOWRY IS INVOLVED. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN (37%) AND WOMEN (39%) IS NOT MUCH IN THIS RESPECT

71%Chennai

22%Indore

32%18-21 years

44%22-25 years

STICKING TO IT

SAY WOMEN SHOULD TRY TO SAVE THEIR MAR-RIAGE BEFORE LOOKING AT DIVORCE AS AN OPTION

56%Men

79%Women

62%18-21 years

73%22-25 years

SAY THEY WANT TO MAINTAIN STRONG

FAMILY BONDS

SAY THEY’LL ALWAYS LISTEN

TO ELDERS

SAY THEY PREFER A

JOINT FAMILY

Men Women

77% 83%

69% 67% 68% 67%

STICKING TO TRADITION

HOLDING ON TO INDIA’S ESSENCE

AGREE THAT MANY INDIAN TRADITIONS NEED TO BE PRESERVED

56% 68% 55%70%Men Women 18-21 years 22-25 years


Social butterflies flutter onlineREAL LIFE VS VIRTUAL PRESENCE 57% of those surveyed say they access at least one networking site daily and look for friendship, news

›I JOINED TWITTER BECAUSE SOMEONE

ACTUALLY FORCED ME TO BECAUSE I’M SUPPOSEDLY WITTY. I AM GLAD I DID. IT INTRODUCED THE INTERNET TO ME IN A WAY I COULDN’T HAVE IMAGINED. I AM TOTALLY HOOKED TO IT NOWPATHIKRIT SANYAL, 23, Client servicing executive


htspecialpYOUNG INDIA YOUTH AND SOCIAL MEDIA


theysaid


Social media platforms are increasingly becoming a staple of life for 26-year-old Mridul Verma from Delhi. Verma wakes up to his phone buzzing with social media alerts and sleeps only after he has made his presence felt in the virtual world.

Verma’s interpersonal interactions too have taken the virtual route. “I talk to at least 100 people regularly (over social media) in a week or two,” says the entre-preneur who spends hours on Twitter and WhatsApp every day.

Of these connections, there are about 12-13 people he calls ‘friends’. “They are closer to me than most school and college friends. We share the same interests, so there’s always a lot to talk about,” he adds.

Verma is just one of the many youngsters whose lives have been taken over by the social media. A whop-ping 57% of the 5,214 respondents to the HT-MaRS Youth Survey — aged between 18 and 25 years — say they access at least one networking site every day, and look for anything from friendship to news and jobs.

If estimates are to be believed, India will have at least 350 million internet users by 2016 with around 75% of them logging in from their mobile devices. “More and more people like consuming content the way they do on their Facebook newsfeeds or Twitter timelines,” says BuzzFeed India editor Rega Jha.

But that’s not all youngsters look for. Thirty-four per cent of those surveyed in 15 cities say networking websites helped shape their love lives.

“I know a lot of people who have found their part-ners through Twitter. No big deal. You interact. You meet. You meet often. You click. You fall. And boom!” says Pankaj Sinha, an engineer.

The connections, however, may not always be for real. The 57% respondents that visit social media websites at least once every day say they have made an average of 29 new connections in the past year. But they met or spoke to only eleven of them on an average, survey results show. Proving a largely virtual nature of the online connections, these respondents call only eight people they are in touch with online their ‘friends’.

Those who thought India’s young access these sites only to stay connected with their friends and partners, think again. More than 40% of the respondents in the 22-25 age group claim politics is their most tweeted topic, followed by sports, current affairs and movies.

The recent mobile telephony surge is one of the biggest contributors to the booming popularity of the platforms including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and WhatsApp

The reason most youth are drawn online today is the ease with which they can log in through their cellphones. And a growing market of internet-enabled cheap smart-phones and tablets is offering youngsters the desired convenience and affordability to stay connected.

Close to 60% users who participated in the survey say they access social media websites through their cellphones. Just 20% of them access these portals through their personal computers.

Messaging service WhatsApp emerges as a clear winner in the survey with 82% responders using the application on their mobiles.

Not everyone is enamoured with the social media’s so-called infinite reach though. The survey indi-cates an interesting trend in southern India, where the use of cellphones and the time spent on social media remains noticeably low, despite technology-hub Bangalore topping the list with most number of social media users.

The three south Indian towns that were surveyed — Bangalore, Chennai and Cochin — figured in the bottom five when it came to the number of hours spent on WhatsApp. This shows that while the youth in these towns may access social media every day, they don’t spend much time on it.

“It’s probably because they don’t substitute social media with daily routines,” says Amaresh Namburi (28) an engineer based in Bangalore. “They value their real friends more than the virtual ones.”

For technology entrepreneur Gagandeep Singh Sapra, this stark difference in the usage may be because of sociological/cultural differences. “There is a lot of focus on family, family values and education,” he says attributing the insight to his travels. “They may be surrounded by tech but, dos and don’ts exist.”

Vishakha Saxena■ [email protected]

Given how Twitter has emerged as one of the leading social media platforms among youngsters, we decided to chat up a Twitter celeb-rity. Meet Pankaj Sinha, who goes by the handle @askthepankazzzz and has over 16,000 followers.

What do you think makes you click on Twitter?I tweet about things that people can relate to, even if it’s everyday problems - the humour or the sad

part of it. That’s what gets their attention, I guess.

Any personal favourite Twitter moments?(With a chuckle) Do they even have a favourite Twitter moment?

So, maybe a favourite tweet?I think it would be “ye li jiye aapki soch mujhe giri hui mili thi”. It was a very random thought at two in the morning but then it clicked with people. By the time I checked, it had been retweeted about 200 times. Soon, it crossed a thousand.

What do you think brings the youth to Twitter?I think it’s about getting valida-tion from strangers when you are in the online world. In real life you crack a lame joke and people frown at you. On Twitter, though, you will always find people who share the same sense of humour. That’s why it clicks with people.

According to our survey, some youngsters have said that social media has helped their love lives. Is this healthy?Why not? People get married through matrimonial websites without knowing each other. At least here they interact, they get to know what level of inter-ests they share, what stuff they like.

What advice would you give to people new to Twitter?

Stop spreading hate, yaar. Don’t do it because, you might ignite something that won’t end and you will regret what you’ve just done. And as it continues, people realise they’re getting retweets from it and so it becomes blind

hate. Chetan Bhagat, for example. I know

people don’t like his books, but the hate against him is beyond me. That is the power of the

online world

Anything on coming up with

witty tweets? How do you do it?

There’s no formula actually, you know. I don’t even think I’m witty, I know a lot of people who are wittier. The only thing is, I tweet how I talk. So I guess, that’s quite relatable.

So, what’s your favourite Twitter handle?That’s a very tricky question. I think it would be @shakti_shet-ty. I respect him for his patience because he never replies to tweets. It’s a very difficult thing to do, because when peopl e want to troll you, they get offensive, make personal remarks. It’s easy to lose your patience or even hit out at people. From what I’ve seen, he never does that.

What would you say to those not on Twitter?Don’t join Twitter. Please. It’s addictive. It’s like Hotel California. You can enter but you can’t get out.

Twitter is addictive. You can enter but you can’t get out

3.0Women

2.5Full time student

2.8Age 18-21 years

2.7Men

4.2Full time employed

3.1Student/part time job

2.9Age 22-25 years

BABY, I’M #ADDICTEDACCESSING SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES DAILYCity-wise break-up

CATCHING UP WITH 'CLOUD' FRIENDSHIPS

AVG NO. OF DAYS SPENT WITHOUT SOCIAL MEDIA

33 Average number of new 'connec-tions' men made since last year

14 The number personally met or spoken over the phone

10 Who can be called 'friends' from those met personally

26 The average number of connections women made since 2013

10 The number personally met or spoken over the phone

5 Who can be called 'friends' from among those met personally

VIRTUAL LOVE: NEITHER BOOST, NOR BANE

Only fully-employed respondents

Helped51%

Hurt11%

No impact38%

Only 18-21-year-old respondents

Helped28%

Hurt8%

No impact64%

2013

(Mean figures)

Bangalore

Hyderabad

Chandigarh Patna Kolkata Ranchi Lucknow

Delhi Ahmedabad Jaipur Indore

Pune Mumbai Chennai

2014

Helped40%

Hurt8%

No impact52%

Only 22-25-year-old respondents

Friends

Politics

Movies

Sports

Events

46%

37%26%

24%

20%

HAIL THE ARM-CHAIR COMMENTATORMost tweeted topics

IN TOUCH WITH THE TIMESWhatsapp

Instagram

Snapchat

8%

12%

The apps most employed youngsters use on mobile

82%

55% 59% 53% 55%69% 68% 67% 66%

51% 52% 50% 50% 49%64% 63% 60% 59% 58%

46%48%52%53%53%43% 37% 43% 40% 38%

I N T E R V I E W PA N K A J S I N H A , Twitter user with over 16,000 followers

88%youngsters in Jaipur said social media has had no impact on their love life. Compare this to Chandigarh’s youngsters: 57% here said networking has helped their relationships. Only 4% in the city said it has hurt them

4.2The average number of days fully-employed youngsters spend without accessing any social network. Ranchi's youth score the most on this count: they said they can stay without virtual connection for an average of 3.8 days


Change agents talk businessLOUD AND CLEAR MESSAGE A large section of youngsters voted for Narendra Modi, who promised to usher in good days at a time the economy has hit a slump

Sandip Bardhan ■ [email protected]

India’s youth made a beeline for polling booths in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections to cast their ballot in what Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed “an election of hope”, making their voice heard at a time when the country is stalked by slow growth and high inflation.

The HT-MaRS Youth Survey 2014 covering over 5,000 youngsters between 18 and 25 years across 15 cities found that around 3,500 of the respondents took part in the marathon nine-phase polling. Of them, 66% voted for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and allies — together known as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which promised of ‘achche din (good days)’ under the leadership of Modi.

“The size of BJP’s victory indicates Modi’s presence was a bigger factor than the UPA’s failure. He transformed the BJP. His

message was aspirational,” said author and public intellectual Gurcharan Das. “While the Congress talked about subsi-dies, Modi harped on jobs and growth. Subsidies don’t give you honour and self-respect, jobs do.”

The survey also found that of those who voted for the BJP, 83% did so prima-rily because of Modi, who tore into the Congress government during campaigning over a series of corruption scandals and policy paralysis.

“One area where the UPA showed enor-mous talent was in halving the growth rate.

One per cent drop in the growth rate means loss of 1.5 million direct jobs. A direct job generates three indirect jobs. In India, five people are dependent on one job. So, that means 1% slump in growth affects 30 million people,” Das added.

Twelve million youngsters enter the country’s workforce every year, and the slow growth in the UPA regime cast a doubt on their future.

IIM-Ahmedabad professor Sebastian Morris said, “Growth col-lapse definitely hurt the UPA. The Antony panel report (a report prepared by AK Antony on the Congress’ worst-ever poll debacle) talks about high inflation. But, it has to be the slow growth.”

According to the HT-MaRS survey, 91% of those who voted for the NDA considered themselves strongly anti-UPA. Another interesting finding was 22% considered Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi an inspiration, while 62% chose Modi.

22% CONSIDERED RAHUL GANDHI AN INSPIRATION, WHILE 62% CHOSE NARENDRA MODI. ALSO, 91% OF THOSE WHO VOTED FOR THE BJP WERE STRONGLY ANTI-UPA


htspecialpYOUNG INDIA YOUTH AND POLITICS


83%of those who voted for the BJP in the elections earlier this year, did so primari-ly because of Narendra Modi. While 8% of them voted for the party, 9% did so equally for both. Of those who voted for the Congress, only 36% said they were influenced by Rahul Gandhi, and another 44% said they opted for the party

71%of those who did not cast their ballot in Hyderabad, said they 'didn't feel like, or felt lazy' on polling day. Of the non-vot-ers in Kolkata, 56% came up with the same excuse. Also, of those who did not vote in Chennai, 27% said no candidate was 'worth voting for'

25%of those who voted for the BJP said they sided with the party because they were attracted by Gujarat's develop-ment model. Another 28% said they were influenced by the promise of good governance

GOT INKED THIS TIMEFINALLY SHAKING OFF THE WELL-WORN CHARGE OF POLITICAL APATHY

86%83% 83% 81% 77% 75% 73% 71% 69% 67%

63% 63% 62%

49% 46%

VOTED FOR BJP VOTED FOR CONGRESS

CONSIDER THEMSELVESCONSIDER THEMSELVES

THE BJP JUGGERNAUT

JAIP

UR

KOLK

ATA

PATN

A

HYD

ERA

BAD

IND

ORE

CHA

ND

IGA

RH

MU

MBA

I

AH

MED

ABA

D

DEL

HI

COCH

IN

LUCK

NO

W

CHEN

NA

I

RAN

CHI

PUN

E

BAN

GA

LORE

Primarily for Modi83%

Primarily for Rahul Gandhi

36%

Very strong anti-BJP18%

Somewhat strong anti-BJP

47%

Very little/not anti-BJP

35%

Primarily for party44%

Equally for both20%

Primarily for party8%

Equally for both9%

Very strong anti-UPA46%

Somewhat strong anti-UPA

45%

Very little/not anti-UPA

9%


Danish Raza ■ [email protected]

Sanjay Kumar, director, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, thinks there was a lot of resent-ment in the country over the UPA government’s performance that led to its downfall. In an interview to HT, he also says Narendra Modi got an advantage because the face projected by the Congress party did not strike a chord. Excerpts from the interview.

What are your comments on the

overall findings of the HT-MaRS Youth Survey?It is very clear that large number of youth would vote for the BJP and very few of them would want Congress in power. This goes in line with what people in general- in other age groups- also think.

What is to be noted is that among those who have voted for the BJP, large number of them did so because of Modi. The case is reversed in case of Congress party. Among Congress voters, majority of them said they primarily voted for the party and not (Congress

vice-president) Rahul Gandhi. We might think that Rahul

Gandhi is younger than Modi and he maybe more popular than Modi as a leader. But this is not the case.

Out of the total respondents, 70% said they did vote in general election. What does it say about participation of the country’s youth in electoral politics?This corresponds to the Election Commission data which showed that while the total voting percentage was around 66, voting percentage

among the youth was higher than this figure.

It is evident that during general election 2014, the youth showed greater interest than what was witnessed in the last two decades. It was a vote of protest. There was resentment in the country

against the way UPA-II was performing. The

anti-graft protests at Jantar Mantar sent a message to the youth that they should fight graft. It was followed by

the Delhi gang rape and subsequent

protests demanding strong anti- rape laws. All these created a mood against the UPA.

More than 65 % of the country’s youth look at the Prime Minister as an inspiration. According to you, what makes Narendra Modi an attraction among the youth?Right from the time Modi began his campaign, he got the advan-tage of the fact that the person pitched by the Congress party against him was a seen as a weak personality. Rahul Gandhi’s per-ception was that of a reluctant politician who was never articu-late and one who had no say in his party’s functioning. Also, he failed to present a blue print to tackle the issues the country was facing such as price rise and corruption.

Modi, on the other hand, emerged as a decisive and firm leader. BJP projected him as a symbol of hope and it worked for the party.

Taking part in the ‘vote of protest’ was significant

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Sandip Bardhan ■ [email protected]

India’s youth no longer shy away from voting and a vast major-ity participated in the recent Lok Sabha election, contrary to the general perception that youngsters are disinterested in politics, an HT-MaRS Youth Survey showed.

A huge 70% of youngsters questioned cast their ballot in the 2014 polls, and just 10% of those who did not vote said it was because they felt “lazy”.

“I don’t subscribe to the view that the youth are not inter-ested in politics. It could have been a truth maybe five years ago. But the Delhi gang rape and anti-corruption movements have increased our social and political awareness,” said Epti Pattnaik, 23, who works with a media house in Delhi.

“Today’s youth are an informed lot, thanks to the internet. Facebook and Twitter bring news to you at lightning speed. Most of the youngsters, if not all, are well aware of what is going on in the world of politics.”

Another 6% of the respondents said they did not exercise their franchise because the candidates were not worth voting for.

“I do not have a voter card. However, that did not matter in the 2014 election, as the candidates in my constituency were not good enough. The promises

they made did not impress me,” said Vasundhara, 25, a Delhi resident who recently relocated to Bangalore with a consul-tancy job.

“But, in India, we don’t lay stress on serious issues and agenda. Here, catchwords matter.”

Of the youngsters who let laziness get the better of them on polling day, the maximum 71% were from Hyderabad and the minimum 4% were from Bangalore. Among the non-voters, 60% said their names were not on the voter list, while 24% said they were out of town.

In Patna, a staggering 100% said they were not registered with the Election Commission of India, followed by 96% in Ahmedabad, 95% each in Delhi and Ranchi and 80% in Jaipur.

The survey also revealed that all the respondents in Hyderabad had their names registered with the election commission.

No longer ignorant and disinterested


More than half the youngsters in 15 Indian cities covered by the HT-MaRS Youth Survey 2014 said they wanted the new government to continue with the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance’s (UPA’s) social security schemes such as the rural employment guarantee programme (NREGA).

Fifty-two per cent gave the thumbs-up to such schemes despite some uncertainty about the direction of these pro-grammes under the Narendra Modi’s government.

The UPA’s flagship rural employment scheme has already undergone some changes. Under the BJP government, the focus is on more funds for asset creation, penalties for late disbursal of funds, increased women’s partici-pation and taking the benefits of the scheme to backward groups.

“I support the positive chang-es made to the UPA’s social secu-rity schemes. After all, now there is a new government at the helm. Everything will not remain the same,” said 23-year-old Shailza Sharma, a lawyer.

“But complete scrapping of

such schemes won’t be a wise thing. These programmes are meant for the poor. And they deserve help from the govern-ment,” Sharma, a resident of Delhi, added.

The poll results, however, also indicate youngsters are unsure over whether the new govern-ment should carry forward these schemes with no firm trend either in favour or against such programmes.

A massive 97% of the young-sters surveyed in Jaipur said the BJP government should not scrap schemes such as the

NREGA, followed by 77% in Kolkata.

However, the response to the UPA’s social welfare schemes was lukewarm in Bangalore and Cochin, where around 25% were in favour of these programmes.

“NREGA is a strong scheme. But there are grey areas that need attention. In some parts of Andhra Pradesh, the shift of human resources from agricul-ture work to a daily wage labour-er’s job is hitting the agrarian economy,” said Hari Krishnan, 23, a development studies student and resident of Hyderabad.

Caught in two minds over UPA’s welfare programmes


A series of corruption scandals and policy paralysis during 10 years of UPA rule steered young-sters away from the Congress, according to the findings of the HT-MaRS Youth Survey 2014.

Sixty-two per cent of the youngsters between 18 and 21 years — many of them first-time voters — and 65% between the age of 22 and 25 said they thought the Congress-led government encouraged corruption.

“Yes, I think that corrup-tion played a big part in UPA’s downfall. It is the root cause of everything that is going wrong,” said Tanyaa Sharma, a 22-year-old Delhi-based journalist.

Corruption in the Congress regime in the wake of the coal scam, the 2G controversy, the VVIP chopper row and the Commonwealth Games mess, among others, emerged as major issues in the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Besides, amid talks of a par-allel power centre in Congress president Sonia Gandhi and slow decision-making by the UPA, 56% of the respondents said they thought Manmohan

Singh’s government was not efficient enough.

The end of the UPA tenure was marked by spiralling prices, high inflation and slow growth that threatened the future of young-sters entering the country’s workforce every year.

“It’s a known fact that growth rate plunged in the UPA regime. I won’t say the UPA lacked intent, but they were definitely slug-gish,” said Samarth Chitnis, 23, a resident of Indore.

“The NDA successfully pro-jected its achievements in job creation between 1999 and 2004.

The youth were enchanted by their promise of an economic turnaround. Joblessness in India is a huge problem.”

A large percentage of young-sters in Jaipur and Indore — 83% each — said they felt the UPA gov-ernment was inefficient, followed by 74% in Ahmedabad. All these cities are in BJP-ruled states.

On the other hand, just 39% of the respondents in Bangalore and Pune, and 32% — the lowest — in Cochin said they thought the UPA had failed to deliver. Interestingly, they are all in Congress-ruled states.

Graft, inefficiency sparked outrage, influenced ’14 verdict

70% OF YOUNGSTERS QUESTIONED SAID THEY VOTED IN THE POLLS, AND JUST 10% OF THOSE WHO DIDN’T VOTE SAID THEY FELT LAZY ON POLLING DAY

› RATHER THAN BLAMING POLITICAL PARTIES OR

GOVERNMENTS FOR OUR PROBLEMS, THE YOUTH NEEDS TO INTROSPECT ON HOW THEY CAN BRING ABOUT CHANGE IN THE COUNTRY. WE CANNOT STAY INSULATED FROM EVERYTHING ANY LONGERPRIYANKA VAID, 24, civil services aspirant

› ONE SHOULDN’T BE RIGID WHEN IT

COMES TO BACKING A POLITICAL PARTY. WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS NOT TO BE SWAYED BY THEIR IDEOLOGIES. INSTEAD, APPRECIATE GOOD PRACTICES IN VARIOUS PARTIESVINAY SHASHIDHAR, 25, researcher

theysaid

I N T E R V I E W S A N JAY K U M A R , director, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies

CORRUPTION METERSAID UPA GOVERNMENT ENCOURAGED CORRUPTION

SAID UPA GOVERNMENT WAS NOT EFFICIENT

92%Jaipur

38%Ranchi

83%Indore/Jaipur

32%Cochin

(maximum/minimum)

WHAT’S THE PLAN

SAID LAST GOVT’S PROGRAMMES SUCH AS NREGA SHOULD BE CONTINUED

48%Men

57%Women

52%18-21 years

53%22-25 years

THE SKIPPERS’ BRIGADE(maximum/minimum)

SAID MODI WAS AN INSPIRATION TO THE YOUTH

Ahmedabad

Cochin

96%

22%

SAID THEY DIDN’T VOTE BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT IN TOWN

Indore

Delhi/Ranchi

75%

5%

SAID RAHUL GANDHI WAS AN INSPIRATION TO YOUNGSTERS

Mumbai

Pune

43%

9%

SAID THEY DIDN’T VOTE BECAUSE THEIR NAME WAS NOT ON THE VOTER LIST

Ahmedabad

Mumbai

5%

96%



htspecialpYOUNG INDIA YOUTH AND ASPIRATIONS


In pursuit of happinessEYES ON STARS, FEET ON THE GROUND Youngsters in the south are more inspired by scientists, while those in the north look up to sports stars

›A STABLE FUTURE, WHERE I HAVE ENOUGH

TO ENJOY THE BEST OF LIFE, IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME. I KNOW IT’S A TOUGH TASK, BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE IF I PLAY IT SMART. I AM WORKING ON MY TOMORROW TODAY KRISHNA SINGH, 21, student

ILLUSTRATION: MALAY KARMAKAR / RAJ K RAJ / SAUMYA KHANDELWAL

theysaid

Osama Salman■ [email protected]

They are young and they are restless, and they carry their aspirations around unabated. For the Indian youth, dreams and desires are the driving force to a better life. While occasionally straying off the path, young India is aiming higher with every passing day.The HT-MaRS Youth Survey conducted in 15 cities across India sheds some light on what the youth in India want, what they think, and what they aspire to be.

Where do India’s happiest youngsters live? A whop-ping 88% of youth surveyed from Jaipur said they are happy, making them the happiest bunch in the country.

The youngsters from the pink city are also the most worried about their future — about 65% of those surveyed expressed apprehension. Ranchi youth came close with 63% echoing doubts over a brighter tomorrow.

At a closer glance, the percentage of office-goers who have high expectations from their future is lower than the figures among the student respondents. “As a student, expectations are high,” said Karthik Singh, 25, an executive in a Delhi-based telecom company. “But when you graduate, you move into a new space. It is but natural that your expectations reduce,” he added.

However, Shruti Singh, head of content and social media in an advertising firm in Delhi, said when stu-dents turn professionals, many a myth is broken, but that does not include “lowering expectations”. “In fact, you make an effort to be better than your peers.”

Comparing results of the student and full-time work-er survey groups revealed that more students aspired ‘to get rich quick’ in comparison to full-time workers.

In what may be attributed to a change of guard at the helm of political affairs in India, the country’s youngsters are currently happier by over 15 percentage points more than they were in 2012 (up from 61.5% in 2012 to 77% in 2014). “This time around the BJP was the only viable option,” said Jobin Xavier, a student at Christ College, Bangalore. “They seem to have a fresh direction and new ideas. India is in good hands,” he added. The youth have put their faith in the BJP, and going by the larger opinion around the saffron

party, are seemingly happy with the election results and the ‘acche din’ that it promises.

Men want to party, and 83% said their philosophy is ‘work hard, party hard’. Women, on the other hand, tread more carefully — 68% felt the philosophy would work for them, but about 5% more women (or 55.2%) said they like to plan life, career and other things.

“Women are conditioned from the very beginning that they are to get married, raise children and man-age the house. This inculcates in them a sense of responsibility and they start planning ahead,” said Zeba Khan, a teacher at Vasant Valley School, Delhi.

While 63.5% of women surveyed agreed all aspects of life — work, leisure, etc — should be integrated, only 49.6% men felt the same. The study also revealed that female respondents were more worried about their future despite being happier than the men.

Of the 15 cities surveyed, 52% youth in Chandigarh said they are inspired by a sportsperson like Sachin Tendulkar. Youth in Ahmedabad, the home state of PM Narendra Modi, said they are inspired by politicians like US President Barack Obama while in Mumbai, a businessman like Ratan Tata took the spot. As many as 14% youngsters in Pune said they are inspired by a soldier fighting for the country.

Youngsters in southern cities, including Chennai, Cochin and Bangalore, were significantly more inspired by scientists like APJ Abdul Kalam than youngsters in most northern cities surveyed. Similarly, the youth in North India drove more inspiration from sports stars. So does this mean the north is all play and the south all work?

“This is not a north and south divide,” said Dr Varkha Chulani, clinical psychologist at the Lilavati Hospital, Mumbai. “It all depends on a person’s upbringing.”

However, Dr Savita Date, clinical psychologist at Apollo Hospital, Hyderabad, insisted the divide exists. “South Indian houses do lean towards academic careers, while north Indian homes towards glamour-ous professions,” she said.

North or south, cutting across spheres, the youth in India are crystal clear of what their goal is. They are, after all, a force to be reckoned with.

IN THEIR HEARTS VERY HAPPY AT THIS POINT OF TIME

PEACE OF MIND

City-wise break-up

Want to get rich very quickly

46%

49%

Men

Women

55%

69%

Men

Women

68%

Men

Women

83%

Say they spend extra time to maintain their distinct style

52%

Men

Women

42%

Say they've strategically planned for life, career and other things

50% 55%

Respondents 18-21 years


Have integrated all aspects of life: work, family, leisure

53% 60%



A professor in an institute

Sachin Tendulkar

35%Dr Abdul Kalam

19%Ratan Tata

14%Barack Obama

9%A soldier fighting for the country

7%Rabindranath Tagore

7%SRK or Deepika

5% 4%

Say 'work hard, party hard' is their life's philosophy

Have very high expectations from their future

THE FUTURE IS NOW

WHO INSPIRES YOU THE MOST

JAIP

UR

KOLK

ATA

IND

ORE

LUCK

NO

W

BAN

GA

LORE

MU

MBA

I

HYD

ERA

BAD

CHA

ND

IGA

RH

COCH

IN

RAN

CHI

AH

MED

ABA

D

CHEN

NA

I

PUN

E

PATN

A

88% 86% 83% 82% 81% 80% 80% 78% 75% 73% 70% 68% 64% 62%

Namita Kohli■ [email protected]

How would you describe the shift in aspirations of the youth in the past few decades? In the pre-liberalization era, where the major employer was the public sector, the aspirations were limited to getting into the civil services or medicine, engi-neering etc. With the liberaliza-tion of the economy, and the enor-mous expansion of the private

sector, an increasing number of young people are aspiring for jobs in that sector. There’s an accom-panying shift in the qualifications that are required to succeed in these fields. For example, today, it is much more important to be an MBA, than to be an MBBS; or to pick up computer skills versus any other skills. These jobs don’t offer the kind of stability that public sector jobs of earlier years did, rath-er they create a lot of anxiety and insecurity.

However, we must remember that the aspirational structure that we are talking about here affects a microscopic community in our country; a vast majority of our population still can’t afford these aspirations.

How has the structure of ris-ing aspirations changed the ways in which the youth perceives “happi-ness”?As psycholo-gists would say, happiness is a state of

mind. But, generally speaking, you need at least some minimum level of material comforts to be happy. Today, that level has been disturbed. A couple of decades back, people would start with a small Maruti car, today the aspira-tion is to own a BMW. This creates a kind of artificiality in conceiv-

ing what is called “happiness”. You don’t have to be very

rich to be happy, but when a young person sees others, they feel the need to “catch

up” with them. At times, this aspiration is harboured with-

out realizing that the required resources is not there to afford

the “catching up”. At this point, there’s a tendency to fall

into means that are not appro-priate to achieve

those ends. For instance, what

is corruption? It is the gap,

the disjunc-

tion, between desirable goals and the means to achieve that.

Is the youth then primarily driven by materialistic concerns?Materialism was always a part of life, but today it has assumed a pathological level, known as consumerism. Men and women feel the pressure – of not earning enough to please their family; this creates tension and dissatisfaction within the family. Thus the aspira-tions are going in a wrong direc-tion. In the pre-liberalisation era, aspirations were defined in terms of what one could con tribute for the cause of “nation-building”. Today, the aspiration is what more can I get from the society. And then there are the banks that provide money to fulfill those aspirations by offering loans; these help people buy things they aspire for, but they also enslave them. It is important then, to find the line between need and greed.

It is important to find the line between need and greed

T K O O M M E N , Sociologist

77%youth said they are very happy with their life. In 2012, when we asked the same question, the count stood at 61.5%. The figure is lower, 68%, among fully-employed youngsters in the 18-25 age group

46%said they are anxious about their future. More than half of the respondents (51%) who are studying and working said they have no idea how their future will shape up. Among fully-employed respondents, only 35% said they are tense about their uncertain future

63%of fully-employed youngsters feel the country must take steps to ensure their needs, and aspirations are catered to


htspecialpYOUNG INDIA YOUTH AND ICONS


The Superheroes SuperclubHEROES INC Step aside Kejriwal and Rahul, PM Modi is Indian youth’s political icon. Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif still rule the hearts

SEXIEST MAN ALIVE

SALMAN KHAN RANBIR KAPOOR JOHNNY DEPP ROBERT DOWNEY JR

DANIEL CRAIG

36% 29%7% 6% 6%

SEXIEST WOMAN ALIVE

KATRINA KAIF DEEPIKA PADUKONE VIDYA BALAN ANGELINA JOLIE

BIPASHA BASU

34% 19% 13% 8% 7%

BIGGEST ICON IN INDIAN POLITICS

NARENDRA MODI ARVIND KEJRIWAL SONIA GANDHI RAHUL GANDHI

JAYALALITHAA

57%13% 11% 8%

2%

BIGGEST SPORTS ICON

ROGER FEDERERMS DHONI VIRAT KOHLI

LIONEL MESSI

SACHIN TENDULKAR

5.6%14.1% 9.2%4.3%

53%

65%women voted for Narendra Modi as the biggest icon in Indian politics. Arvind Kejriwal (13%), Sonia Gandhi (10%) and Rahul Gandhi (8%) figured way below in the popularity sweepstakes among women. Jayalalithaa, Mamata Banerjee and Sushma Swaraj got even more dismal numbers

22%women thought their safety is the biggest issue facing India. Not too many men thought it is a critical issue: only 13% ranked it above corruption and unemployment. Most respondents, across gender, said corruption is the biggest menace India needs to fight

0.9%men who say Maria Sharapova is the world’s biggest sporting icon. Saina Nehwal fared slightly better, with 2.4% men respondents ranking her on top


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