Country 2022

INDIA: EDUCATION FIRST

Sixth largest economy in the world, India is emerging as one of the fastest growing economies in the world thanks to several advanced industries. While the share of the population benefiting from this growth continues to grow, paradoxically the number of people living below the poverty line is also increasing.

21% of the population lives below the poverty line ($1.90/day). Women, children and, in general, populations belonging to lower castes or tribal populations, are the first victims of impoverishment. India is also the country where there are the most child workers exercising jobs that are most often dangerous for their health and are thus deprived of schooling, locking them into the circle of poverty. Despite an “exemplary” democratic system, the weight of Indian culture, linked to the yet prohibited caste system, tends to prevail impacting on the legislative. The place granted to women is still much lower than the one enjoyed by men. Although the legal age of marriage is 21, marriage arranged at an often early age remains a common practice. Thus, even if the legal framework has evolved positively, the rights of women and children are often flouted.