PROJECT
Youth in India: Situation and Needs Study

There are 315 million young people aged 10–24 years in India, representing 30 percent of the country's population. This cohort is healthier, more urbanized, and better educated than earlier generations. At the same time, these young people face significant risks related to sexual and reproductive health, and many lack the knowledge and power they need to make informed sexual and reproductive health choices. These vulnerabilities remain poorly understood and served, and it is only since the mid-1990s that researchers and policymakers have begun to investigate these issues. Even so, information on intimate partnerships among youth—female and male, married and unmarried—is sparse, and evidence is practically nonexistent that identifies the factors that protect young people’s abilities to ensure their own sexual and reproductive health and their autonomy to make informed and wanted health decisions. There is a need, therefore, to undertake a nationally or subnationally representative study of the situation and needs of young people in India.

The objectives of this project are to: (1) identify key transitions facing young people, including education and livelihood opportunities and experiences; (2) provide evidence at the state level on the magnitude and patterns of sexual and reproductive practices in and outside of marriage, and related knowledge, decisionmaking practices, and attitudes among youth; and (3) identify key factors underlying the sexual and reproductive health, knowledge, attitudes, and life choices of young people. The Council is undertaking this project in partnership with the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS).

The project will focus on unmarried youth and married females aged 15–24 and married males aged 15–29, (because there are few married males who are 15–24 years old). It is being conducted in six states in two waves and ultimately will involve a survey of some 10,000 married and unmarried females and males in each state in addition to pre- and post-survey qualitative phases.

A pre-survey qualitative phase was completed in all six states in 2005. Its data have been partially analyzed and have informed the survey questionnaire. The survey is ongoing now in three states (Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu).

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Population Council researchers

Shireen Jejeebhoy, Rajib Acharya, K.G. Santhya

Non-Council collaborator

International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai

Donors

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation

Publications/Resources
Council researchers' names appear in boldface type. 

2007
"Factsheet: Youth in India: Situation and needs key indicators, 2006–2007: Jharkhand." New Delhi: Population Council. (PDF)

"Factsheet: Youth in India: Situation and needs key indicators, 2006–2007: Maharashtra." New Delhi: Population Council. (PDF)

"Factsheet: Youth in India: Situation and needs key indicators, 2006–2007: Tamil Nadu." New Delhi: Population Council. (PDF)

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