Edits | September, 2023
It will be difficult for the next generation to enter politics in India at the least. In the last 4 to 10 years the Indian political scene has undergone a sea change. Even the Western political leaders, in power, have implemented the same kind of change. For the students of political science and some other people who may have considered politics to be a career, either to serve the country or to make it as a means to gain corrupt practices, it does not seem to be a promising career anymore. Whether willing to enter politics with a large amount of own capital, and resources and or backed up by wealthy individuals, you never know when the government institutions (like the CBI, ED and other enforcement agencies) will come knocking as this new person challenges the leadership in power, or canvasses himself as a good bet in an election campaign.
It is not only true for India but for all over the world. Most of the political leaders who made big bucks across the globe are now either in prison or somewhere in exile. With the trend not seemingly changing, the flavour of the nexus of political leaders with businessmen has changed manifold. Any political aspirant who has great wealth backing them, from generation to generation, has already quit politics or mainstay politics to safeguard their wealth, interests and businesses. Hence the affluent and connected young generation will not come into the new politics of the land, leaving only the people who have nothing but themselves to put a bet on to enter this field. Hence criminalisation of politics is not just going to stay, but it is going to evolve into something larger, and more disastrous as we go along.
An interesting trend that has been seen all over the world is the realisation of politicians in power use taxpayers’ money to fund their election campaigns. In the guise of subsidies and freebies, in India, everybody from Modi to Kejriwal has rolled out subsidies of atrocious amounts. It was all started by Congress with the MANREGA scheme, which had ought to help the poor people, but became a scheme to garner votes.
If you look around, you will see the politics being targeted at all the young leaders in all the countries, making them think about whether they are at the right place in their lives. And many times, this ploy has worked. Most of the top politicians in any of the countries at the moment are not from any great households but have grown from the grassroots. There is nothing wrong with this, but with the advent of corruption in politics to a level that is unprecedented all over the world, they are the ones who have nothing to lose if things go south. Without being too elaborate, it is these people we have to choose to govern us and to make laws to which we will adhere for our services and businesses.
BPSC Teacher Exam Chaos Exemplifies Growing Unemployment Concerns
The prevailing concern among today’s youth centres on the escalating unemployment rates, particularly regarding job availability after education. Securing employment has become notably more challenging, with a dearth of job opportunities compared to the past. This dilemma is exemplified by the ongoing Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) teacher recruitment exam, drawing over eight lakh candidates, including out-of-state participants. The influx of candidates has overwhelmed facilities in Patna and other districts, leaving many to resort to railway stations and bus stands for accommodation. This scenario underscores the gravity of the unemployment issue, as the nation witnesses packed examination centres, crowded transportation, and accommodation predicaments.
Moon Landing by India.
Americans went to the moon in the late 60s. The most interesting thing at that time was that the average age of a NASA technician was in their 20s, and when the US President asked why he got some people, who were experienced, the answer was that this was being done for the first time in world history. Though India has not done anything quite as dramatic as the first time in world history, it is a remarkable feat nonetheless, vis-à-vis the cost, approach and technology used to reach the South Pole side of the moon. The Russians did a race and crashed in a hurry. That was hilarious. Landing on the moon 54 years later than the first mission has a fair set of advantages of technology, which has since evolved to make an automated monitor in real-time the landing. In fact, at the first instance when Americans went to the moon, remote lending was not possible since there were literally no computers and there was no communications technology other than plain RF, without a digital signal. So, the American landing was more or less completely guided by man. India could well be about 10 years from now to plan a successful manned mission to the moon, provided it is viable and serves an objective. The Americans will be back on the moon with a rocket twice as big as Saturn V, taking one-third the time to reach the moon with large tonnes of payload. In no sense to criticise our effort to go to the moon, we do have to look at where we stand and technology. We only hope to see very good footage from the moon by the Rover and lander, to make us proud of what has been achieved.
CA Divesh Nath
Editor Woman’s Era LinkedIn: Divesh Nath