Asom youths unaware of Govt policies: Survey
Guwahati, Dec 2: In a youth survey conducted by a magazine in Asom, it was
found that the States youth lacked the knowledge of the Government policies
and other major issues of national and international importance. The survey was
conducted by a monthly magazine Jibon among 2270 students and youths in the age
of 15-40 in more than a hundred villages and towns, with equal male-female
ratio and proportionate urban-rural representation. According to the survey, 95
per cent youth was found unaware of the separate Ministry for North-east
(Department for North East Region), with 46 per cent even demanding such a
ministry be created. Seventy six per cent did not know where the North Eastern
Council (NEC) was headquartered (in Shillong), with 29 per cent thinking such a
council did not exist at all. Another 51 per cent did not even know that Irom
Sharmila, whose hunger strike for past couple of years against alleged army
excesses has drawn international attention, was from
Manipur, though 83 per cent knew where Kanaklata attained martyrdom. Though 90
per cent know that Baichung Bhutia is a footballer, at least six per cent think
that he is the king of Bhutan. The youth were equally ignorant in international
matters like what brought Mohammad Yunus of Bangladesh the Nobel Prize is not
known to 75 per cent, while 13 per cent think he got it for being a freedom
fighter. Yunus was awarded the Nobel Prize for micro-financing in the rural
areas.
The survey also proved to be an eye opener when it came to lack of awareness
among the States youth regarding financial matters. As many a 38 per cent
could not answer whether the RBI can print money on its own to make the country
owner, with 15 per cent thinking that it can do so on the Finance Ministers
directive.
Forty five per cent of the youth did not know what sensex is related to as five
per cent related it to sex and another four per cent to heartbeat. Though 64
per cent know what is a credit card, 14 per cent think it is a card for
availing banks loans and 10 per cent think it is a guarantee card against bank
loans.
In yet another finding, 38 per cent youth had no clue how the money comes at
the ATMs, with 13 per cent thinking that it came from the bank through
satellite or wire and eight per cent thinking that ATMs print currency.
As the country was projecting itself as an IT hub, the youth of Asom were found
to be much ignorant about it. 36 per cent are not aware where the software is
stored in a computer. Only five per cent use e-mails regularly, 54 per cent
never used e-mail and 21 per cent of them want to, but do not know how to use
the e-mail. In health matters the youths fared comparatively better with 93 per
cent knowing that jaundice is a water-borne disease and 91 per cent knew that
kissing does not cause AIDS.
The editor of Jibon Suresh Ranjan Goduka said such findings would help the
policy makers to frame better youth policies so that they become aware of the
relevant issues. (UNI)
(The Sentinel,03.12.2007)
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