Content

• Gen Z and the dynamics of democratic engagement
• Bhasha’ matters in India’s multilingual moment

Gen Z and the dynamics of democratic engagement

I. Changing Global Democratic Context

• Recent international assessments such as Freedom House (2023) report democratic quality declining for the 17th consecutive year, with 35 countries showing deterioration in political rights and civil liberties.
• The V-Dem Report 2024 estimates nearly 72% of the global population lives under regimes experiencing some degree of democratic decline or institutional stress.
• Democracies face pressures including polarisation, declining trust in institutions, and shrinking civic participation, requiring renewed focus on accountability and institutional resilience.

Relevance

GS 1 (Indian Society)

• Demographic Dividend: Gen Z forms nearly 30% of India’s population, influencing social norms and political expectations.
• Urban Youth Unemployment: Around 15%+ (PLFS 2023), shaping economic anxieties and civic attitudes.
• Social Change: Greater tolerance toward gender equality and identity diversity compared to earlier cohorts.

GS 2 (Polity & Governance)

• Constitutional Values: Liberty, accountability, rule of law under democratic frameworks.
• Pressure Groups: Shift from structured organisations to decentralised civic mobilisation.
• Digital Governance: India has 800+ million internet users, reshaping public discourse and regulatory challenges.

II. Emergence of Gen Z as a Democratic Stakeholder

• Generation Z (1997–2012) comprises nearly 2 billion people globally, making it the largest youth cohort in contemporary politics.
• Youth-led mobilisations in Bangladesh (2024) and Nepal (2025) focused on transparency, anti-corruption, and institutional accountability, leading to administrative inquiries and reform discussions.
• Compared to earlier movements such as Occupy Wall Street (2011) or early-2010s protests, recent mobilisations appear more issue-specific and digitally coordinated.

III. Lessons from Earlier Movements

• Occupy Wall Street (2011) mobilised in over 900 cities, yet struggled with leadership coherence and policy institutionalisation.
• Early-2010s movements led to political transitions in some contexts but faced challenges in sustaining stable institutional reform.
• These cases show that mass mobilisation alone does not guarantee long-term democratic consolidation.

IV. Generational Recalibration of Values

• Gen Z blends democratic ideals with digital-era individualism, shaped by global exposure and social media connectivity.
• Surveys indicate higher openness toward gender equality and caste diversity, reflecting reduced social prejudice compared to previous generations.
• What appears as political detachment often represents a shift from ideological activism to experiential engagement.

V. Core Worldview

• Emphasis on lived experience, dignity, and fairness rather than rigid ideological alignment.
• Civic engagement often centres on workplace conditions, discrimination, and everyday governance issues.
• Preference for pragmatic and situational responses rather than long-term doctrinal mobilisation.

VI. Digital-First Civic Participation

• With 800+ million internet users in India, social media platforms function as primary spaces for mobilisation and debate.
• Campaigns are often leaderless and decentralised, relying on hashtags, peer networks, and short-form content.
• While digital reach enhances speed and scale, it may reduce sustained organisational continuity.

VII. Comparison with Organised Movements

• The Farmers’ Movement (2020–24) demonstrated sustained leadership, negotiation frameworks, and legislative clarity over extended periods.
• In contrast, Gen Z mobilisations tend to be short-term and issue-focused, often dissolving after immediate objectives are addressed.
• Both forms represent legitimate democratic participation, but their institutional impact varies.

VIII. Confidence–Anxiety Dynamic

• Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education reached 28.4% (AISHE 2022–23), reflecting expanded educational access.
• Simultaneously, urban youth unemployment exceeds 15% (PLFS 2023), creating economic uncertainty.
• This combination produces assertiveness in civic claims alongside fragmentation in sustained engagement.

IX. Mental Health and Civic Outlook

• Greater openness toward mental health counselling and therapy distinguishes Gen Z from earlier generations.
• Competitive labour markets and gig economy volatility influence expectations from governance and institutions.
• Civic participation increasingly intersects with dignity, wellbeing, and quality of life concerns.

X. Market, Identity and Mobility

• Smartphone penetration exceeding 75% in urban youth cohorts enhances digital access and global exposure.
• Consumption patterns increasingly shape perceptions of opportunity and equality, sometimes transcending traditional identity markers.
• Digital access functions as a symbolic equaliser in social mobility narratives.

XI. Aspirational National Outlook

• Digital ecosystems amplify narratives around technological progress, entrepreneurship, and innovation, including space missions and start-up growth.
• Youth nationalism often reflects future-oriented aspirations and global competitiveness.
• However, algorithm-driven echo chambers may contribute to polarised discourse, requiring balanced regulatory frameworks.

XII. Democratic Promise and Constraints

• Strengths include reduced prejudice, strong demand for transparency, and readiness to question inefficiencies.
• Constraints include episodic mobilisation, limited structural organisation, and vulnerability to misinformation.
• Democratic deepening depends on integrating youth participation into institutional frameworks for sustained engagement.

Conclusion

• Gen Z represents a digitally connected, aspirational, and economically conscious cohort navigating rapid technological and social change.
• Its engagement signals transformation in democratic participation rather than disengagement.
• Long-term outcomes depend on institutional responsiveness, inclusive governance, and stable participatory channels.

Practice Question

• “Generation Z’s political engagement reflects a shift from ideological mass movements to digitally mediated episodic mobilisation.”
  Examine the implications of this transformation for democratic participation, institutional accountability, and governance stability in contemporary societies. (250 words)

‘Bhasha’ matters in India’s multilingual moment

I. India’s Linguistic Landscape

• According to the Census 2011, India has over 1,300 mother tongues and 121 constitutionally recognised languages, representing one of the most diverse linguistic ecologies globally.
• The Eighth Schedule of the Constitution recognises 22 languages, yet everyday linguistic diversity extends far beyond formal recognition, particularly among tribal and minority communities.
• Linguistic diversity in India is not merely cultural capital but a cognitive and educational resource influencing early childhood development and social identity formation.

Relevance

GS 1 (Indian Society & Culture)

• Linguistic Diversity: 1,300+ mother tongues (Census 2011); unity in diversity.
• Role of Language in Identity: Cultural preservation, indigenous knowledge systems.
• Diversity & Social Cohesion: Multilingualism as integrative force.

GS 3 (Human Capital & Technology)

• FLN & Productivity: Language barrier affects foundational literacy outcomes.
• Digital Public Infrastructure: BHASHINI, DIKSHA, PM eVIDYA.
• AI & Language Technology: Preservation of endangered languages.

II. Language Loss and Knowledge Erosion

• UNESCO estimates that nearly 40% of the world’s 7,000 languages are endangered, implying rapid erosion of indigenous knowledge systems embedded in local languages.
• Language extinction results in loss of ecological wisdom, oral traditions, and community-based knowledge accumulated over generations, weakening cultural resilience and intergenerational transmission.
• Safeguarding languages is therefore both a cultural imperative and an educational necessity, linking identity preservation with inclusive development goals.

III. Global Learning Deficit Linked to Language

• Globally, over 250 million learners lack access to education in a language they fully understand, contributing to foundational learning deficits.
• In India, 44% of children enter school with a home language different from the medium of instruction (NCERT, 2022), creating early comprehension barriers.
• This mismatch contributes to weak Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) outcomes and increases risk of cumulative learning gaps and eventual dropout.

IV. Pedagogical Basis of MTB-MLE

• Research consistently shows that children learn concepts more effectively when taught in a language they comprehend, improving cognitive retention and classroom participation.
• UNESCO has long advocated mother-tongue-based multilingual education (MTB-MLE) as a condition for equitable and quality education under SDG 4.
• Multilingual instruction enhances transfer of skills across languages, enabling smoother transition to additional languages like Hindi or English in later grades.

V. Policy Framework in India

• The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 recommends use of the mother tongue or regional language as medium of instruction at least until Grade 5, preferably till Grade 8.
• The National Curriculum Frameworks (2022–23) operationalise this vision by embedding multilingual pedagogy into early childhood and foundational stage learning.
• India’s approach aligns with global commitments under SDG 4 (Quality Education) and UNESCO’s advocacy for linguistic inclusion.

VI. Evidence from UNESCO’s 2025 Report

• The seventh State of the Education Report for India (2025), titled “Bhasha Matters”, synthesises global research and national evidence supporting MTB-MLE effectiveness.
• The report outlines 10 policy recommendations, including teacher preparation, multilingual materials, gender responsiveness, community participation, and sustainable financing.
• It proposes a National Mission for Mother-Tongue-Based Multilingual Education to institutionalise reforms across ministries and stakeholders.

VII. State-Level Best Practices

• Odisha’s multilingual education programme spans 21 tribal languages across 17 districts, supporting nearly 90,000 children, demonstrating scalable inclusion.
• Telangana leverages DIKSHA-enabled multilingual digital resources, expanding access to local-language content through digital infrastructure.
• National platforms like PM eVIDYA, BHASHINI, Adi Vaani, and AI4Bharat deploy AI and language technologies to document endangered languages and support teachers.

VIII. Technology and Language Preservation

• India’s BHASHINI initiative aims to create digital public goods for Indian languages, enabling translation, speech recognition, and cross-lingual accessibility.
• AI-driven language documentation helps preserve endangered dialects while expanding digital inclusion for rural and tribal learners.
• Responsible investment in language technologies ensures linguistic equity does not lag behind digital transformation.

IX. Social Equity and Identity Dimension

• Teaching in the mother tongue affirms cultural identity, enhances self-esteem, and reduces alienation among tribal and minority students.
• Linguistic recognition strengthens social cohesion, preventing marginalisation rooted in language hierarchies.
• Gender-responsive multilingual education can empower girls in communities where schooling barriers intersect with linguistic disadvantage.

X. Challenges and Structural Gaps

• Teacher shortages in multilingual classrooms and inadequate pre-service training limit effective implementation of MTB-MLE.
• Development of high-quality textbooks and assessments in multiple languages requires sustained public investment.
• Balancing national integration with regional linguistic autonomy remains a delicate policy challenge.

XI. Strategic Way Forward

• Establish a National Mission for MTB-MLE with dedicated funding, monitoring indicators, and inter-ministerial coordination mechanisms.
• Reform teacher education curricula to embed multilingual pedagogy and recruit teachers proficient in local languages.
• Institutionalise community participation to integrate indigenous knowledge into curriculum design and assessment practices.
• Align multilingual reforms with Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) frameworks to scale inclusive language technologies nationally.

Conclusion

• India’s linguistic diversity is not a developmental constraint but a strategic asset for equity, identity and cognitive empowerment.
• By mainstreaming mother-tongue-based multilingual education, India can transform its demographic dividend into a culturally rooted and intellectually confident generation.

Practice Question

• “Mother-tongue-based multilingual education is central to both learning equity and cultural preservation.”
  Discuss the pedagogical rationale, policy framework, and implementation challenges of multilingual education in India, citing recent initiatives and evidence.(250 Words)