The Children's Movement for Civic Awareness (CMCA), a non-governmental organisation, conducted a survey of 10,542 Indian students (6,168 9th graders and 4,374 college first-years) to unearth the nation's youth's attitudes towards various social and political issues. The students, belonging to 330 high schools and 220 colleges across 11 cities, were asked multiple choice and scale-type questions. The results were compiled in a Yuva Nagarik Meter, described as a measure of "where young India stands on democratic citizenship."
The survey was also extended to 757 social science teachers. The survey results didn't display any significant differences in attitudes between college and high school students, or between male and female respondents.
CMCA chief Manjunath Sadashiva shared the survey results in full with BuzzFeed India. Here's what they found:
1. The surveyed youth's attitudes towards the environment were on point. 72% believe in rainwater collection.
2. And 78% consider it important for citizens and the government to protect lakes and tanks.
3. Only 35% of high school respondents consider themselves citizens of India.
4. 43% of respondents said it is alright to flout certain rules because one can bribe their way out of facing consequences.
5. And 49% of students don't believe domestic workers have the right to demand minimum wages.
6. 52% of females and 57% of males believe "women dress and behave in certain ways to provoke violent reactions from men."
7. 39% of females and 43% of males believe women have no choice but to accept "a certain level of violence."
8. 71% of youths believe women can perform as well as or better than men professionally...
9. But 52% said that women's "main role" is to tend to their households and children.
10. 45% of social science teachers expressed agreement with a statement saying most problems in urban areas are caused by migrants.
11. 65% of respondents said girls and boys of different religions should be disallowed from meeting in public.
12. 61% of high school students said students get "beaten" while at school.
13. 81% of college students and 63% of high-schoolers said they are afraid to express their ideas and opinions while in class.
14. 78% of the social science teachers surveyed expressed that maintaining religious diversity in India is difficult.
So, uh... That's that.
