Campaigning ended Wednesday for 102 Lok Sabha seats across 21 States and Union territories which will go to polls in the first phase on April 19.
India's election is the world's largest electoral exercise with more than 18 million people voting for the first time in these elections. Nearly 97 crore people are registered to vote in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections and around 1.85 crore of them are in the 18-19 age-group according to the Election Commission.
Obviously job opportunity is the most important desire of the first-time voters. It is pertinent to note that despite world-beating growth, India's economy has scrambled to generate enough work for its people. To tap into such disenchantment, India's main opposition Congress has promised paid apprenticeships.
The ruling dispensation manifesto also focuses on creating jobs. Many of the youth work in private firms for a meagre salary which is not sufficient for a family to survive.
Literacy would also be topmost on the mind of the youth. They would want to make India more fair and inclusive where everyone should be educated and illiteracy should be wiped out completely.
There are more slums in the cities than there are in villages. Children as old as seven or eight years of age are forced to leave schools and their education to find jobs to feed themselves and their families. This needs to change.
