SSC Descriptive Writing Current Affairs SSC-CGL (TIER-III) - Demographic dividend- boon or bane

DEMOGRAPHIC DIVIDIND-BOON OR BANE

Key Points:

Introduction

• Definition
• Potential that can be tapped

Government initiatives

• Skill India
• Startup India
• Make in India
• Digital India

Challenges

• Education
• SER report
• 1% GDP spent on educate
• Employment
• Employability
• 5% population with any vocational training
• Dependence on public sector
• Geriatric care

Way ahead

• 4% growth rate
• World fastest growing economy
• Right initiatives on part of government

THE ESSAY BEGINS...

UNFPA defines demographic dividend as the economic growth potential that can result from shifts in a population's age structure, mainly when the share of the working-age population is larger than the non-working age population. This implies a potential that can be tapped if we know how to tap it, a transformation which can occur only when certain conditions are fulfilled which can be discussed under two broad headings of education and employment.

Education in India is in a bleak state when seen in the background of the recent ASER report. The mere 3.1 % of GDP which the government spends on education is nowhere near what's necessary. A country won't be able to progress without a robust public education system.

Employability, rather than employment opportunity, should be more discussed, with only 2.5% population having any sort of vocational training. Due to the lack of enough private sector jobs, the youth fall back on the public sector which is itself shrinking. The boom in the youth population now indicates another thing- the large number of senior citizens we will have to manage in the future. Geriatric care in India hasn't developed much and with a majority of the population uninsured, the senior citizens have to depend on their children.

The progressive schemes launched by the present government have been focused on solving these problems. While schemes like Skill India mission. Startup India and Digital India focuses on skilling the youth to boost their employ ability, Make in India and the increased FDI limit are sure to create new employment opportunities.

Though the pace is slow, the growth is steady with our country marching ahead at 7.4% as the world's fastest growing economy, and with the right initiatives on the part of the government, we will be able to grow even faster and the sun of youth will definitely shine on India.