India, Nov. 19 -- With over 65 per cent of its population below the age of 35, India possesses one of the largest and youngest workforces in the world. A UN report titled The Power of 1.8 Billion notes that countries with significant youth populations can accelerate development - but only if they invest deeply in education, health, and the protection of young people's rights. This promise, however, stands in stark contrast to how youth energy has historically been channelled.
For more than two millennia, societies across the world have drawn upon the courage and stamina of the young largely to strengthen military might. Millions of bright, spirited young people have been used as fuel for wars. Outside the battlefield too, institutions have...