"Empowering Youth Participation in Governance...

"Empowering Youth Participation in Governance: Harnessing the Potential of Social Work Interventions"

Author Name : Dr. Leena Mehta , Ms. Sagar Rajput

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56025/IJARESM.2023.111023070

ABSTRACT India is often known as the "Land of Youth" because over half of its population, which amounts to approximately 600 million people, falls within the age range of 10 to 35 years. Harnessing the potential of this youthful demographic presents a significant challenge to India's leaders, who must strive to equip young individuals with the necessary knowledge, skills, and ethical values to engage actively in the realm of politics. Following Indian Independence, there has been a noticeable lack of emphasis on understanding the political views and engagement of the youth. Government policies and programs appear to primarily aim at promoting and propagating the dominant ideas among young individuals, rather than fostering their conscious awareness of their role in politics. While the general perception of politics among the common citizens is often negative, it is worth delving into the intriguing findings of micro-level studies that have identified instances of youth actively participating in local politics.