National Youth Day 2023 or Rashtriya Yuva Diwas is observed on 12th January.
Tracing the origin, this day celebrates the life of one of the greatest philosophers and spiritual figures the world has seen. It signifies Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary. And, because of the fact that he really inspired the youth, his birthday is celebrated as National Youth Day in India.
The government declared January 12, 1984 and the primary motivation for this decision was – to improve the quality of life for Indians, by encouraging young people to draw inspiration from Swami Vivekananda’s life and accomplishments. The idea behind was also to revive the enduring vitality of the youth, which would go a long way to boost the economy of the country. On this day, people from all over India take part in a range of educational and cultural events – to foster unity and harmony within the country. And, today this spirit would really benefit Gen Z; plus entrepreneurship is also having a positive impact on ‘incredible’ India’s economy.
Harnessing Gen Z’s entrepreneurial spirit
Currently, we have Gen Z who is ruling the roost. They are the “Internet Generation,” who can be described as – tech-savvy, connected and self-educated. A recent study that focused on Gen Z revealed that 72% of them wanted to be independent and start their own company, utilizing the power of entrepreneurship. They wanted to have control over what they do in their lives, and also remain debt-free. They preferred to choose to live a life led by ‘purpose’.
Gen Z professionals will look for of high levels independence and autonomy in whatever environment they work in. Meaning that this includes flexibility in terms of where, when and how they work, as well as having the ability to have some ownership over their work (whether it’s part of a company or for themselves). This would indicate some workplace changes – to allow for more ‘entrepreneurial thinking’, and add ‘innovation’ in the workspace. Leading to people taking more ownership or accountability for their work.
Entrepreneurs can develop their own life pattern, creating the work-life balance many seek. Gen Z may be the generation to break free from the normal 9-5 schedules. And here, entrepreneurship is indeed, key.
Today, with the new norm, the digital world is the “real world”. Gen Z views technology as very much part of life. The line between “digital life” and “real life” is blurring. For this generation, these two experiences don’t exist separately, but are woven together to coexist in every possible way. We are already seeing emerging technologies like AR, VR, and Voice transforming the way we interact with digital space. And, in many ways these are integrated with our daily lives too.
Quite importantly, Gen Z embraces ‘change’ as the only constant. And, this opens up opportunities to give them the power that they wish to generate. Thus, they know they can make a difference.
So, cheers to the empowerment of youth!
Avtar Madan
Himanshu
Shree Lahiri
Poonam Sinha
