THE GIST of Editorial for UPSC Exams : 10 APRIL 2019 (Young voters and their key position in national polls (Live Mint)

Young voters and their key position in national polls (Live Mint)

Mains Paper 5: Polity
Prelims level: Voting Behaviour
Mains level: Explain the significance of voting behaviour

Context

• The country is facing an avalanche of electoral promises. Most promises are focused on luring young voters.
• But to what extent can these promises be fulfilled?
• This question can’t be answered now, but if young voters are the focus of the electoral discourse, this should be considered as an auspicious sign.

This was bound to happen.

• In the past few elections, clearly the voters exercising their franchisee for the first or second time have been holding a decisive position. All available data confirms this.
• In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections there were about 100 million new voters. Of this, nearly 25 million were under 20 years of age and had acquired the right to vote for the first time. In the previous elections, among 815 million registered voters, 52% were below 40 years.
• Needless to say, that this section of our society shoulders the responsibility of building the future of our country. This segment needs the right guidance and support. Look at the data.
• The crumbling education system has made the foundation for building character and personality very weak and decrepit. Talks and efforts for social reforms are now limited to professional NGOs.
• It’s clear that the ‘light houses’ for guiding the youth are now no longer there.

Technology effect

• Now is the era of social media, and the information that flows through it, has utterly ruined all respect for knowledge in our society.
• Every day, ridiculous things are said about a leader, a historical personality or the Indian culture. The air is already deadly with the toxicity of all the ideological dirt.
• According to Hong Kong-based Counterpoint Research, India has 430 million smartphone users. Through these smartphones, they access WhatsApp.
• WhatsApp claims that 200 million people in India actively use the messenger service.
• There are 87,000 active users groups, which keep circulating various kinds of messages.
• This is the best medium for the electoral warriors to reach out to, and convey their opinion to the masses.
• This is how we continue to get a wide variety of audio, video and written messages all through the day and night.

But how pervasive is this menace?

• This time, 900 million voters have been registered.
• The number of first-time young voters, between 18 and 20 years, stands at 15 million.
• Most of these first-time voters are from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.
• There are a combined 235 Lok Sabha seats in these five states.
• That means these states will play a significant role in the formation of the new government at the centre, because 43% of the Lok Sabha members will be elected from these states.
• The situation on the ground in these states is pathetic. Farmers have been committing suicide, women are not safe, a large number of the unemployed youth also belong to these states.
• Whether it is social inequality or the feudal mentality, the ill-effects are seen in these areas. Observe the paradox, most of the country’s prime ministers have come from these states.

Way forward

• Yet, they are in such a pathetic condition.
• If we start looking for an answer, we will have to write many such articles, but the truth is that the youth of these states will play a decisive role in electing the new government.
• This section will also have the maximum expectations from the government.
• They are dissatisfied with their condition, and will cast their vote with the hope that their problems will be resolved over the next five years.
• Will their hopes be realised? This abundance of promises does not bode good.
• This may bring in a flood of votes for political leaders, but the voters will only become more frustrated and desperate.
• And, in such a scenario, the invisible alchemists of social media will succeed in misguiding voters.

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General Studies Pre. Cum Mains Study Materials

Prelims Questions:

Q.1) According to the Global Burden of Disease study 2016 published in The Lancet, consider the following statements:
A. India ranks 150th among 195 countries in terms of healthcare access and quality.
B. Among the states of India, healthcare access and quality has made the highest improvement in healthcare access and quality.

Choose the correct option:
A. A only
B. B only
C. Both A and B
D. Neither A nor B

Answer: D

Mains Questions:
Q.1) Describe the significance of the young voters and their key position in national polls.