Rural aspirations: Economic opportunities need to be spread across India

A large proportion of youth aged 18-25 years who have never been employed do not aspire to join the workforce, possibly due to the challenging state of rural economy and limited non-farm opportunities

With a youth population of 378 million, India is one of the youngest nations in the world at present. Two-thirds of this youthful demographic reside in rural areas, which account for 70 per cent of the nation’s total population, but contribute only about 46 per cent to the country’s gross domestic product. A significant 80 per cent of the rural workforce is engaged in agriculture and allied activities. Given the demographic and economic context, it is imperative to thoroughly understand the aspirations, challenges, and status of this segment. In this context, a recent report “State of Rural