[Answered] Analyze youth leadership as a strategic pillar for achieving ‘Viksit Bharat @ 2047’. Evaluate the socio-economic and institutional barriers that prevent India’s demographic dividend from transitioning into a productive national asset, and suggest measures to empower the ‘Amrit Peedhi’.

Introduction

India is currently in the Amrit Kaal, with a median age of ~28 years. The vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047 (Developed India by the 100th year of independence) rests on four pillars: Yuva (Youth), Garib (Poor), Mahila (Women), and Kisan (Farmers).

Youth Leadership: From Demographic Bulge to National Asset

Youth are no longer just beneficiaries of change but agents of it:

1. The Scale: As of 2025-26, India houses the world’s largest youth population (approx. 27% in the 15-29 age group), representing a unique but time-bound window of opportunity that will begin to close by the 2050s.
2. Innovation & Entrepreneurship: India is the 3rd largest startup ecosystem. Youth-led leadership in AI, Green Energy, and FinTech is crucial for reaching the USD 3 trillion GDP target.
3. Grassroots Governance: Initiatives like the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue (VBYLD) 2026 are bridging the gap between youth and policy-making, aiming to induct 1 lakh non-political youth into public life.
4. Digital Diplomacy: India’s youth are the primary drivers of its Soft Power, leading global conversations in technology and sustainable lifestyles (e.g., Mission LiFE).

Barriers to Transitioning Potential into Power

Despite the potential, several demographic traps persist:

1. The Skill-Employability Paradox: Reports from 2025 indicate that while literacy is high, only 43% of graduates are truly job-ready for the AI-driven economy.
2. Jobless Growth Concerns: High youth unemployment and the concentration of labor in low-productivity agriculture hinder the transition to a high-income status.
3. Brain Drain vs. Brain Gain: The migration of high-skilled talent to advanced economies continues to deplete India’s intellectual capital.
4. Gender Disparity: The Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR), though improving, remains a bottleneck for holistic national development.
5. Digital and Informational Divide: While India is digitally connected, unequal access to digital skills and platforms risks excluding large sections of youth from emerging opportunities in AI, green jobs and the gig economy.

Institutional Measures for Empowerment

The government has shifted toward a Youth-Led Development model:

1. Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat): Launched as an autonomous body to provide a phygital (physical + digital) platform for experiential learning and volunteering.
2. National Education Policy (NEP) 2020: Modernizing curricula to include vocational training, coding, and multidisciplinary research from an early stage.
3. VBYLD 2026: A 2026 initiative involving over 50 lakh participants in social hackathons and policy presentations, culminating in the National Youth Festival at Bharat Mandapam (Jan 2026).

Way Forward: Reclaiming the Dividend

Empowering the ‘Amrit Peedhi’: Way Forward

1. Education and Skill Reforms: Implement NEP 2020 in spirit—focus on critical thinking, vocationalisation and apprenticeships. The German dual-skilling model and India’s Skill India Mission offer templates for school-to-work transitions.
2. Institutionalised Youth Participation: Strengthen youth councils at local, state and national levels. Mandating youth representation in urban local bodies and consultative policymaking can democratise leadership pipelines.
3. Economic Empowerment: Expand access to credit, incubation and market linkages for youth entrepreneurs, especially in Tier-II/III cities. Schemes like PM-MUDRA and Stand-Up India must prioritise first-generation youth leaders.
4. Civic and Ethical Leadership Development: Programs inspired by NCC, NSS and Swami Vivekananda’s philosophy can nurture ethical leadership, social responsibility and constitutional values—essential for sustainable development.
5. R&D Investment: Increasing national spending on Research & Development (currently below 1% of GDP) to foster a culture of Discovery-led Growth rather than just Service-led Growth.

Conclusion

As Justice Radhakrishnan and Swami Vivekananda envisaged, youth shape destiny. Empowering Amrit Peedhi through capability, inclusion and trust is India’s surest path to Viksit Bharat @2047.