Corruption continues to be deep rooted in the Indian system and maybe that’s why, for the seventh year in a row, it has been ranked as the top most challenge for the country.
The percentage of youth that considers corruption as the worst evil has dropped to 26% in this year’s survey, down from 42.6% in 2013 and 34% in 2016.
Unemployment has been voted as the second biggest challenge in India. Interestingly, it was only in 2013 that unemployment was listed as a concern and then for three subsequent years, it did not feature in the list. But this year again, it has surfaced with 19.3%.
Terrorism is the next consistent element in this list of challenges, but the percentage of people worried about the issue has dropped from 24% in 2016, to 16.8% this year.
Surprisingly, women’s safety, which is a prime concern for most young girls in the country, is at the bottom of the list of challenges. From 23.6% and 16% in the last two years, it has come down to 13.6% this year.
Religious intolerance is another problem that 9.3% Indians are worried about. And despite the farmers’ protests in several parts of India for higher prices of agricultural produce and waiving of loans, only 5% Indians think the farmers’ crisis is a matter of concern. Important issues such as lack of quality education (3.7%), social inequality (2.4%), pollution and environmental degradation (2%) were not thought to be important issues.
{{/usCountry}}Religious intolerance is another problem that 9.3% Indians are worried about. And despite the farmers’ protests in several parts of India for higher prices of agricultural produce and waiving of loans, only 5% Indians think the farmers’ crisis is a matter of concern. Important issues such as lack of quality education (3.7%), social inequality (2.4%), pollution and environmental degradation (2%) were not thought to be important issues.
{{/usCountry}}Biggest global challenges
Terrorism across borders remains the top most concern worldwide and the startling survey figures only prove that things have been taking a turn for the worse over the last six years. From 26% in 2011, 29.9% in 2012 to 37% in 2016 and finally 42% this year, terrorism is something that world seems to be finding hard to battle.
Unemployment at 17.2%, religious fundamentalism at 7.5% and hunger and malnutrition at 7% are among the other global challenges listed by the respondents.