CHENNAI: Imagine the country being run by children who make a strong commitment to change the political, economic, social and educational landscape of India. This Children’s Day, students discuss the need to preserve monuments, make abortion accessible, and conduct routine health drives
Mandira Murali, class 12
My main focus would be on improving education. Education is the key to a better future. With one of the largest youth population in the world, quality education will influence our future. I would try to create a society in which every individual has access to basic education. Education teaches us right and wrong. As a feminist, I feel improving the status of women is also important.
There have been numerous incidents of women being exploited physically, emotionally and economically. Steps should be taken to improve the status of women as women are getting paid 20 per cent lesser than men. Hence, education is imperative for an equal society. Education stimulates economic growth, indirectly increases innovation, productivity and human capital. It helps individuals stimulate the mind making them more aware of their actions. Every person has a choice to make. The choices we make define us and our beliefs. People with power, like the Prime Minister, should make more significant and impactful decisions that will bring in a positive change to the country.
Nitya Krishnan, class 10
I would try and increase the dependability of the Indian Government. I would try to find the reason for any blame placed on the government’s head and make it evident to the public that government is not filled with only words and hot air and that it can and will make India a better place. I would nurture society’s trust in the ruling body and try my best to not let them down. The easiest way to do that is to increase the approachability and transparency of the government.
But, any able ruling system needs able citizens and good leaders to handle issues at a local level. With India’s booming population, the youth make up a large number. They are often the driving force behind large social movements, such as the Jallikattu movement. I would want to reform the public education system to better empower the youth. There are many private schools that focus on student leadership and empowerment but such programmes don’t seem to be available to public schools for many reasons.
Adam Mihir Libby, Class 9
My main agenda would be to focus on youth. I would ask parents to put money to fund their child’s education in a trust, and would provide government loans to fund the payment, which would be reimbursed over time. I would give family benefits and tax deductions to parents who admit their children in school. I would create a ‘need blind’ admissions process to universities where applicants from low-income homes would be entitled to fee reductions. India ranks 77th on the World Bank’s ease of doing business ranking. I would deregulate businesses and increase FDI to allow job opportunities and making India more competitive in terms of exports both in products and services.
Tishya Viveknath, class 10
I would focus on enhancing our economy by striving to cut down factors that inhibit its growth. Education is a key element in the process of one becoming a worker in our capitalistic society. Women’s education is sincerely lacking. More educated women would mean more workers to contribute to the economy. Awareness is key. Therefore, I would heavily emphasise on the benefits of girls’ education. My next goal, as Prime Minister, would be to seek a more equal distribution of wealth. Inequality by itself is inevitable, owing to the meritocratic society that we strive to be. It is natural that people be rewarded for their efforts.
However, the inequalities should not be too extreme. I would endeavour to administer progressive taxation by making it such that those who are wealthy pay a greater proportion of their income or wealth than those who are not. Finally, I would like to ameliorate our system of roads and the infrastructure. I feel the quality of our roads is far from what it could be. My objective is uncomplicated: ensure the money taken from our citizens for road maintenance goes to good use. I would survey and address all the underdeveloped roads and fund projects to amend them and, most importantly, maintain them. If I were the Prime Minister, I would push to fully utilise my opportunity to evolve India for the better.
Yasmin Rosammal Daniel, class 11
I would try to bring universal education across India. Considering that education is an important social indicator and a key stepping stone to a brighter future, I believe that this is one of the priorities that should be attended to by the government. I would insist on routine health drives and attempt to supply vaccines and medication that are properly stocked and easily available. That being said, if I were the PM, I would improve the functionality and outreach of the services proffered to our citizens. Efficient water, electricity, gas, sewage and garbage disposal facilities are a predominant concern that I hope to address. Marginalised groups have always been a point of contention in India.
I would seek to ensure that all SCs and STs have human rights, and that these rights are acknowledged in their entirety. One of our shining features is that we have constitutional universal suffrage, and it is important to recognise and protect the fact that every person, be it an elite socialite in Mumbai or a man working on the salt pans in the Rann of Kutch, deserves the right to vote. Additionally, I would enforce a policy that would curb our mushrooming population. I would like to organise programmes on family planning and make contraception, birth control medication and abortions easily accessible. It is easy to attend to countless small matters and subject us to the daily grind. But it's time that we look at the bigger picture, at issues that both divide us and unite us, and set about finding effective solutions.
Arun Viji, class 9
India, the home of 1.3 billion people, has many challenges — people of the country need clean air, safe drinking water, affordable food and healthcare, and most of all an education system that will prepare them for future. Since I am a consumer of our current educational system, I would like to write about that. The current system almost focuses solely on rote learning and not on understanding the information and exploring further. Thanks to lightning processing speed and ever-shrinking computers, all information we need is available at our fingertips as appliances, phones and even our watches have access to internet. We need to have an education system that focuses on research and connects subjects in a Da Vinci-inspired way.
Also, we need to learn to express our unique and original thoughts articulately since rote learning will soon become obsolete. Assessment should change in line with the new approach to learning. Examiners should be expert on the subject matter, and should reward creative thinking, innovative ideas. This will encourage an entrepreneurial spirit in the future generation and I can only imagine the power of 1.3 billion creative thinkers and innovators. Whether I am the student that I am today or the PM of India, I am always in awe of the spirit of generosity of the people I have met across India – whether while trekking with the locals in the Himalayas or while surfing with the fishing community in Covelong. It is what makes India special for me and I know it will never change.
Nishka Srivastava, class 10
As the Prime Minister, my first order of business would be to eliminate corruption. I will work to reduce unnecessary government intervention in people’s lives, make our laws less complex, place honest people in positions of responsibility, and make honesty as the big thing to be celebrated with the use digital media. The second thing I would focus on is to make our parliamentary proceedings more impactful. I will work with all political parties and make changes in parliamentary procedures to ensure that both the Houses debate and legislate without interruptions. My next priority will be to promote economic growth and equity.
This will be achieved through supporting entrepreneurship and removing hurdles towards innovation. State intervention will be made for creating opportunities for the less privileged. Next on my list are programmes in the sphere of education that will help children appreciate the value of their country and connect with their culture. Alongside, I would work towards preservation of monuments and nature which will also boost tourism. Such visible changes give people hope for the future. Finally, I will make sure that our country has external security and internal peace. I will modernise our defense, strengthen our police force and use technology to prevent threats. India is by no means underdeveloped — rather, it is a cultural marvel. It is just that its vast potential is hidden due to self-doubt. Unveiling opportunities for India and helping her attain the global stature she deserves would my passion as the executive leader.
Layavarjitha S, class 12
There are already so many meaningful schemes introduced such as Swachh Bharat mission, Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Yojana and yet, none has been effective enough to reach the maximum number of people. Two major reasons are profuse corruption and bureaucracy in India. So, if I were the Prime Minister, my first step would be to drastically improve the transparency of the government system. I would restrain from making decisions with political intentions, and instead would make policies sustainable in the long run.
I would ensure that bureaucrats publish reports on the implementation of every operation and how exactly the money allocated is spent, in order to make them more accountable. By making this data available in the public domain, citizens would get empowered. This way, bureaucrats will know that they have high risks of getting caught if they are corrupt, which would eventually reduce corruption in the system. I would also quicken the process of operations by reducing the layers of authority, thereby minimising bureaucracy.
I would initiate digitalisation of money transactions and would focus on improving access to technology in unorganised sectors, and I would then enforce stringent policies to restrict cash transactions. Thus, by creating infrastructure for technology, I would reduce the capital output ratio by minimising money leakages that are due to wastage, inefficiency and corruption. This way, India’s existing funds itself would be enough to make a significant change in the lives of our common people.
Tejas Swarna Vikram, class 11
I would ensure that my country doesn’t live in poverty. I would provide my citizens with a reliable and respectable security system in which there is minimal corruption and all laws are enforced with extreme authority. The country would be highly developed and the population will be well educated and aware of the activities around the globe and within the nation. If I were the Prime Minister, my country will be socially balanced with equal rights for all — where men and women will be equals. My country would be safe.
However, I will not live in a concrete jungle, no, I shall ensure that the lush forests and diverse wildlife will be rescued from its turmoil and I will ensure our history, the people’s history is known and cherished. Every child, man and woman will have the ability to make their own choices whether it is quality education or a lifestyle or even religion; it will be the people’s choice. The country will break numerous boundaries in the fields of science and medicine. Not only science but sports as well. My country will be able to participate in almost any sport at any level from the Olympics to Commonwealth, we will have the ability to not only participate but also win in these events and the country’s name will be known throughout the globe.
Karthikeyan Vaitheeswaran, class 10
If I were the Prime Minister, I would ensure that my people are healthy, happy and live harmoniously. For improving longevity and health I will invest to get more hospitals, more qualified doctors and a cleaner environment. For improving everyone’s quality of life, we need to strengthen the education system by creating more facilities and faculty for quality education and providing free education for all at all levels. To improve the economy, we need to create more industries for self-consumption and decrease imports and improve exports resulting in strengthened Rupee.
I will increase investments for pharmaceutical production and better grain management, and plan on reviving agricultural sector. As India has a vast population and a 3.9% unemployment rate I would like to try and bring more labour intensive employment to the country. I would also like to privatise loss-making government businesses, like Air India. I would like to better our international relations with countries like Pakistan and Russia as this can help improve our ease of business even more. I want to promote equality on all fronts.
Joel Shyju Elavunkal, class 10
I would first abolish caste system. Numerous ‘honor-killings’ due to inter-caste marriages were reported lately. We must evolve beyond such barbaric ideologies. Recently, Allahabad was renamed ‘Prayagraj’. Rechristening these heritages undermines minorities such as Islam in ‘secular’ India. Many MLAs have not completed class 10; basic education must be made a prerequisite for politicians. India imported `12,254.97 crore worth of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) from China during 2016-17.
Producing API domestically will improve India’s current account, causing rupee to appreciate. 30.52 million tonnes of grain are stored using CAP (cover and plinth) method: bags of grain are stored in a cement plinth and covered with a tarpaulin thereby instigating fungi. Hence, approximately 1,800,000 tonnes of grain are lost in storage. I’d ensure its proper storage. Indian trains have poor sanitation; I’d improve it. International relations with Pakistan and China must be improved. I’d ensure ‘brain drain’ is minimised and unemployment is dealt with. India is lagging behind in football. Proper development could result in our maiden World Cup appearance.
Harschith Adimoolam, class 8
The job of a Prime Minister is complicated and hard; however, it is a very interesting job. The PM has several powers and duties such as: Leader of the Parliament, Power of Patronage, and Director of Foreign affairs. I would maintain good international relations with other countries, and improve the country’s economic growth by increasing GDP which is linked to a country’s increase in literacy rate. Rate of female education is 64.01% while the rate of male education is 80.9%. There is a huge difference.
This is because of gender inequality. Poverty is a big issue. Many people who are part of lower castes don’t get equal opportunities. These issues can be solved by allocating funds towards Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, a programme focused on educating children between 6-14 years for free. However, implying this to children between 6-17 years of age would be an ideal solution to this problem.