Rising Against Corruption: How Youth Can Shape India’s Future
Rising Against Corruption: How Youth Can Shape India’s Future
By Aryama Bhattacharyya
Rabindranath Tagore envisioned an India “where the mind is without fear and the head is held high, where knowledge is free.” Written as part of Gitanjali, which later earned him the Nobel Prize, the poem imagined a nation where education was accessible to all and its power guided citizens along the path of truth and moral clarity, free from superstition or narrow-mindedness. Yet today, that dream stands in stark contrast to reality, where millions of young Indians navigate a system in which merit is too often compromised and opportunity is constrained by corruption. And so, in a country with the world’s largest youth population, corruption in education becomes more than a governance failure, rather it is a profound moral crisis. This essay argues that such corruption is a direct assault on the nation’s future, eroding trust, discouraging talent, and undermining the aspirations of the youth who form India’s greatest asset.
Across India, the promise of merit is slowly eroding. In recent years, reports of examination paper leaks – from school board exams to recruitment tests for teachers – have become disturbingly common. For thousands of candidates, these leaks do more than disrupt a test; they shatter years of preparation, sacrifice, and hope. I myself have prepared for rigorous, high-stakes exams for professional and public-sector positions, and I have friends who have spent years in the same preparation cycles – putting careers, relationships, and life plans on hold in the hope of building a future grounded in meaningful social contribution.
The consequences of such corruption go far beyond disappointment. Young Indians investing their prime years in the confined routine of exam preparation face stress, anxiety, and even depression when the system appears unfair or manipulated. Studies have shown that high-stakes competitive exams in India contribute to mental health challenges, and repeated exposure to a flawed system amplifies this strain. The sense of futility that arises when effort is decoupled from merit can diminish motivation, erode self-confidence, and leave young people questioning the value of perseverance itself.
The repercussions extend to the economy as well. When talented youth are unable to secure employment through merit-based systems, their years of preparation go largely unused, leaving them underemployed or unemployable due to skill gaps. By the time they are forced to “move on,” much of their prime years have passed, weakening human capital and stifling innovation. The loss is not just individual but structural, undermining the country’s demographic dividend as millions of capable young people are sidelined from contributing meaningfully to economic growth.
Frustration over blocked opportunities and systemic unfairness often spills into social and political unrest. When young people repeatedly encounter injustice through corrupt practices, it correlates with greater involvement in protests and activism, and can even push some toward violent extremist organizations. India’s future depends not just on its growing economy or natural resources, but on its young population. When institutions betray the very youth they are meant to nurture, the erosion of trust reverberates through communities, weakening civic engagement and fraying the bonds of social cohesion. If corruption continues to weaken the education system, it undermines the foundation of the nation itself. A society where young people cannot trust the fairness of exams risks drifting away from the democratic and meritocratic ideals that sustain mobility, innovation, and social justice.
Yet, despite these challenges, youth across India are not passive bystanders; they are taking action, organizing, and resisting where they can. Citizen-led initiatives such as the Zero-Rupee Note, championed by 5th Pillar, an anti-corruption NGO, have mobilized young people to publicly refuse bribes as a form of peaceful protest. Students actively contribute to campaigns like “I Paid a Bribe,” distributing posters in government offices and maintaining visibility to hold officials accountable. At the educational level, UNODC’s GRACE initiative (Global Resource for Anti‑Corruption Education and Youth Empowerment) offers a powerful, structured way to nurture integrity. In India, for example, rural schools in Uttar Pradesh have adopted GRACE resources to train educators and students on peace, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and integrity. While these efforts do not eradicate systemic corruption, they demonstrate that youth can carve out spaces to uphold integrity and challenge unfair practices in tangible ways.
Tagore’s vision may feel distant today, even after more than a century, and the challenges he foresaw remain persistent. Systemic corruption in education will not disappear quickly, and no single initiative can transform the system overnight. Yet even in this imperfect reality, young people can act meaningfully to protect their interests and resist corruption. These small, persistent steps help maintain a culture of accountability and inspire others to do the same. The road to a society where every young person can hold their head high is long, but these efforts represent incremental, hard-won steps toward that ideal.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aryama Bhattacharyya is a second-year graduate student at The Fletcher School, Tufts University, working at the intersection of international relations, conflict resolution, and human security. She serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Praxis Journal of Human Security. Her research spans South Asia and the Asia-Pacific, the MENA region, and the United States, focusing on how individuals and communities navigate systemic challenges, adapt to complex environments, and respond to conflict and displacement. She has conducted extensive qualitative research, including interviews, archival work, and field-based studies, examining themes such as migration, technology governance, and community-based problem-solving. Aryama holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Calcutta.