Page 16 - EW 1-156 May 2024

Editorial

ELECTIONS MUST REFLECT WILL OF ALL PEOPLE democracy and the electoral process
Exemplary regard for the norms of
— demonstrated again when the BJP
his editorial is being penned on income tax authorities -- there’s suffi- unexpectedly lost General Election
the day voting for General Elec- cient evidence and general acceptance 2004 and the Congress party lost in
Ttion 2024 has commenced in that the election process is clean and 2014, should be a matter of pride for
West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, which electoral outcomes thus far have been all Indians. Such taking and leaving
will be represented by 42 and 39 rep- fair, substantially transparent and re- of office is highly unusual, especially
resentatives in the next 543-member- flective of the will of the people. in developing countries of the third
strong Lok Sabha that will convene in This was most dramatically proved world where heads of government
June after a new government is sworn by General Election 1977. Earlier in often have to be forcibly removed
in by President Murmu. Spread over mid-1975, prime minister Indira from power. One of the great achieve-
seven weeks in which 969 million Gandhi had imposed free India’s first ments of free India is that the conduct
citizens are eligible to cast their votes, and thus far sole internal Emergency of largely free and fair elections and
this election is the world’s largest ex- countrywide under Article 352 of the graceful acceptance of electoral ver-
ercise in universal adult franchise. Constitution. However in early 1977, dicts has struck deep roots.
And it’s noteworthy that since India Mrs. Gandhi unexpectedly called a Yet full practice and reverence for
attained independence in 1947 fol- general election to sanctify the Emer- the democratic system requires all
lowing a unique non-violent freedom gency and her dictatorial rule. De- eligible citizens to exercise their fran-
struggle led by Mahatma Gandhi, the spite having absolute control of gov- chise in conducive and adverse con-
country has experienced 17 free and ernment, the establishment and law ditions. Experience of elections past
transparent general elections. and order machinery, her Congress indicates that one-third of the eligible
Although in the run-up to the cur- party was roundly defeated at the don’t vote. One hopes this time around
rent election, several charges have hustings with Mrs. Gandhi also suf- when turning-point issues are on the
been made about unfair conduct and fering defeat in her own constituency agendas of contending political par-
tampering with the electoral system in Uttar Pradesh. That she gracefully ties, all eligible citizens — especially
— the Election Commission has been accepted the verdict of the electorate first time young voters who have most
packed; electronic voting machines is testament to the unusual respect to win or lose — will exercise their
are rigged; the process has been jeop- that politicians across all party lines franchise. Election outcomes should
ardised through weaponisation of the accord to the electoral process and reflect the will of the people, not only
Enforcement Directorate, CBI and democracy. of those who vote.

ROOT CAUSE OF PERENNIAL UNEMPLOYMENT for public education way back in 1967,
education expenditure (Centre plus
states) has averaged 3.5 percent per
lthough obfuscated by more 29 increased to 14.33 percent in the year for the past 75 years. As a result
populist issues such as the drift Oct-Dec quarter of 2023 from 13.35 learning outcomes of children in gov-
Ainto electoral autocracy, dimi- percent in the previous quarter. In this ernment schools which teach 52 per-
nution of minority rights and threat to connection, it’s pertinent to note that cent of India’s 260 million in-school
pluralism and secularism from asser- the percentage of ‘registered unem- children, are rock-bottom with over
tive hindutva majoritarianism, rising ployed’ has remained constant at over half of class VII students unable to
youth unemployment is likely to prove 40 percent since your editor co-pro- read class III textbooks or solve sim-
a key issue in General Election 2024, moted Business India, the country’s ple sums. Moreover in the brahmani-
the outcome of which will be declared pioneer business news magazine, in cal education system, skills education
on June 4. Unemployment data avail- 1978. The fact that almost one-third of has been almost totally neglected
able in the public domain is dismay- post-independence India’s working- while the public higher education
ing because the major share of the age population — assuming that 10- system has been ruined by political
anguish of joblessness is being borne 15 percent of registered unemployed interference and over-regulation.
by ‘educated’ youth. obtained gainful employment after Yet the country’s establishment
The official NSSO and private registration — has remained without and indeed the post-independence
think-tank Centre for Monitoring jobs for over 75 years, indicates severe generation, is reluctant to make the
Indian Economy (CMIE) are agreed fault-lines in the national develop- connection between sub-standard
that in January this year, the percent- ment model. education, neglect of skilling and un-
age of unemployed youth-adults in the This is not because there is a jobs employment. A weak-minded elector-
above 15 years age group is 6.8 per- shortage within the economy which is ate is easily distracted by caste, com-
cent, down from 8.3 percent a year growing at 6-7 percent per year. The munity and creed issues.
ago. Yet it’s alarming that within the plain truth is that India’s unemploy- Therefore, the auguries are that
age group 20-24, unemployment in- ment and under-employment blight the incumbent BJP government at the
creased to 44.49 percent in October- is the outcome of a sub-standard edu- Centre is unlikely to pay a price for its
December 2023 from 43.65 percent in cation system. Despite the Kothari continuous neglect of education and
the July-September quarter. Likewise Commission having recommended under-development of India’s huge
unemployment among adults aged 25- an annual outlay of 6 percent of GDP and high-potential human resource.

16 EDUCATIONWORLD MAY 2024