E-Paper
India’s Youth Dividend: The missing link between demographics and governance
Strengthening youth participation through universities, political institutions and industry can help bridge this gap and ensure policies reflect next generation
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A few years ago, India crossed a demographic milestone that received far less attention than it deserved. It became home to one of the world’s largest young populations, a shift often discussed in economic forecasts but less often in terms of how policies are actually made. Inside classrooms, students debate national issues with a seriousness that may surprise many observers of formal policymaking. But in the places where laws and budgets are shaped, those same ideas do not always reach decision-makers in time.
That gap points to an important reality. How India connects what young people discuss in classrooms and communities with actual policy action may be one of the key governance challenges of this generation. The active inclusion of youth in policymaking is therefore no longer just a progressive idea for India. It is also a demographic and economic necessity.
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A Nation Younger Than Its Institutions
Much of India’s governing system, including its consultation processes, committees and drafting mechanisms, was built for a demographic reality that has changed. Nearly 65% of India’s population is below the age of 35, while the country’s median age is around 28.
Yet many policy conversations still happen without enough direct participation from the generation that will live with the consequences of those decisions for decades. This is not a small gap. It can influence what issues receive attention, where resources are directed and which concerns remain outside the policy conversation.
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When Given a Voice, Youth Respond
There is often an assumption that young Indians are too focused on careers, social media or personal ambitions to engage seriously with governance. Recent experience suggests otherwise.
The Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2025 saw around 30 lakh young people participate in its first-stage quiz, with selected participants moving through further stages to present their ideas on issues linked to India’s development. The 2026 edition saw participation from more than 50 lakh youth in its quiz, showing the scale of interest when young people are given a structured platform to contribute.
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This level of participation shows that young Indians are willing to engage when there is a genuine opportunity to be heard. The challenge is to move beyond occasional events and make youth participation a regular part of how policies are discussed and developed.
The Economic Stakes Are Rising
The case for youth participation in policymaking is not only about representation. It is also closely linked to India’s economic future.
The Periodic Labour Force Survey for 2025 recorded youth unemployment at 9.9%, down from 10.3% in 2024. Rural youth unemployment also declined from 8.7% to 8.3% during the same period. At the same time, EPFO data shows that more than 3.45 crore young people aged 18 to 28 joined the formal workforce between April 2020 and June 2025.
These numbers show the scale of young people entering India’s workforce. Their concerns about jobs, skills, technology, education and entrepreneurship therefore need to be part of the policy conversation. A workforce of this size cannot be prepared for the future without listening to the people who will make up much of that workforce.
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Young People Are Moving Faster Than Institutions
Another clear signal is the way young professionals are already adapting to changes in the workplace. A global workforce survey covering Indian respondents found that 94% of the young professionals surveyed considered on-the-job learning their most valuable source of career growth.
At the same time, young professionals are adopting new technologies and changing the way they learn and work. This pace of change creates a challenge for institutions. Policies around education, skills and employment need to keep pace with the realities young people are experiencing.
The proposed National Youth Policy 2025 also recognises this changing landscape. It projects a youth population of 346 million by 2036 and places young people at the centre of long-term planning, with focus areas including skills, entrepreneurship, leadership, civic engagement and digital participation.
The next step is to ensure that young people are not only invited to share their views but also have meaningful opportunities to contribute to the decisions that affect their future.
From Consultation to Participation
What would a genuinely youth-inclusive policy system look like?
First, consultation with young people should become a regular part of policymaking, especially when laws and programmes relate to education, jobs, technology and climate. Their views should be sought before policies are finalised, rather than after major decisions have already been made.
Second, universities can play a much larger role. They can become spaces where students study real policy questions, conduct research and present their findings to policymakers. This can create a stronger link between campus research and public policy.
Third, political organisations can create more meaningful opportunities for young people to enter public life and take on responsibility. Industry also has a role to play by supporting youth-led research, entrepreneurship and solutions to public challenges.
India cannot ask its young people to build the future while leaving them out of the conversation about how that future should be shaped. The ideas that begin in a classroom, a university campus or a young person’s workplace deserve a meaningful place in the policymaking process.
India has the numbers, the energy and the talent. The next step is to create more regular and meaningful ways for young people to help shape the country they will inherit.
(The author is Dr. Ashok Kumar Mittal, Rajya Sabha MP, BJP)
