india

Updated: Oct 15, 2017 09:30 IST

Corruption continues to be deep rooted in the Indian system and maybe that’s why, for the seventh year in a row, it has been ranked as the top most challenge for the country.

The percentage of youth that considers corruption as the worst evil has dropped to 26% in this year’s survey, down from 42.6% in 2013 and 34% in 2016.

Unemployment has been voted as the second biggest challenge in India. Interestingly, it was only in 2013 that unemployment was listed as a concern and then for three subsequent years, it did not feature in the list. But this year again, it has surfaced with 19.3%.

Terrorism is the next consistent element in this list of challenges, but the percentage of people worried about the issue has dropped from 24% in 2016, to 16.8% this year.

Surprisingly, women’s safety, which is a prime concern for most young girls in the country, is at the bottom of the list of challenges. From 23.6% and 16% in the last two years, it has come down to 13.6% this year.

Religious intolerance is another problem that 9.3% Indians are worried about. And despite the farmers’ protests in several parts of India for higher prices of agricultural produce and waiving of loans, only 5% Indians think the farmers’ crisis is a matter of concern. Important issues such as lack of quality education (3.7%), social inequality (2.4%), pollution and environmental degradation (2%) were not thought to be important issues.

Biggest global challenges

Terrorism across borders remains the top most concern worldwide and the startling survey figures only prove that things have been taking a turn for the worse over the last six years. From 26% in 2011, 29.9% in 2012 to 37% in 2016 and finally 42% this year, terrorism is something that world seems to be finding hard to battle.

Unemployment at 17.2%, religious fundamentalism at 7.5% and hunger and malnutrition at 7% are among the other global challenges listed by the respondents.