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Perfect time for Modi to make the change he talks

India's young have been central to Modi's popularity numbers. Has he forgotten them somewhere?

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has had an opportunity that many global leaders would envy – that of rebuilding a nation, unshackling politics from dynastic legacies, engaging the youth, rising from humble beginnings and establishing himself as a real leader beyond his virtual reach. The question is has he done any of these? This week promises to analyse and scrutinise the PM's 365-day report card. There are plenty of caustic headlines from global surveys and some at home are waxing eloquent about how he yet carries 'hope' for the billions. Both may be extremes. Today I am going to put the spotlight on one set of people that India and the PM need to care about – the Youth.

India's young have been central to Modi's popularity numbers. Has he forgotten them somewhere? Should the PM rewind his energetic and inspiring speeches? The guarantee of jobs, the promise of aspirations, the speeches ridden with engaging the freshers, the hope of 'yes we can, and yes you can.' From social media to radio-casts, Modi became a magnet for youth power. They wanted a leader who took decisions, who spoke boldly, who delivered on undertakings.

Luck has been in Modi's favour. Global oil prices are down, inflation seems to be in control, the interest rates are lower than they were before elections, growth rates are strong and the stock markets are stable. Yet, despite this no major economic move has been recorded which may boost jobs. Make In India is a brilliantly designed campaign but it's still open-ended how it might create jobs, and what kind of jobs. With respect to startups, where many young people in India are engaged, the taxation remains vague and the ease of doing business is still far from comfortable. Buzzing sectors aside, it would be foolhardy to imagine that the bulk of the youth would be ready for new-age industries. What is yet needed is a vision and understanding of how more young men and women will be able to join India's food processing, handicraft, tourism, steel and other smokestack sectors.

The Skill India campaign has its intent in the right place but its roots are far from entrenched. Schools and institutions cannot be set up overnight. About 12 million jobs are needed for India every year. This is a figure that should scare any government.

The youth want to see economic progress, infrastructure build-up and skill strengthening. Modi was elected as PM because expectations and desire for change were palpable. No doubt seeking so many results (sometimes instant moves) from a PM in his first year is possibly unfair. But the constraints and construct of Modi's win rested on a plank for immediate change. Now that restlessness among people – India Inc to rural folk – may be seeping in. For the PM, this is then a perfect time to realign his efforts to show the change he talks. Modi unlike most of India's leaders is a communications czar and putting his machinery to work and deliver cannot be unimaginable.

Modi knows his politics; his plans and is a strong leader. If our PM gets back to his own words in his recent speech in Canada, we may get down to put our nation back on track. "80 crore youth, 160 crore strong hands. What can we not achieve?"

 

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