India's Biggest Youth Movement to Help Set the Agenda for 2014 General Elections, Manthan Records Participation From 10000 Students Across India
MUMBAI, September 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --
Manthan, India's biggest youth movement to help set the agenda for 2014 General Elections has received participation from 10000 students from more than 700 colleges and 200 cities across India. This is an unprecedented engagement by any youth movement in the nation so far. The movement aims to create a credible platform through which youth can disseminate their ideas and recommendations across the political establishment and submit the most innovative solutions for inclusion in the political agenda for 2014 General Elections.
Launched on 25th July 2013, Manthan encouraged college students across the nation to come up with innovative solutions to 14 themes widely recognised as some of the most critical challenges that India faces today. Students were invited to propose their solutions for any of the themes. The best submissions per theme will get an opportunity to present their recommendations to the top leadership of principal national political parties and thought leaders from other domains at the Manthan culmination event to be held at Thyagaraj Sports Complex, New Delhi on 2nd Oct 2013.
16000 students registered to participate in Manthan, of which 10000 students submitted their presentations before the participation closing date - 5th Sept 2013. These presentations are now being adjudicated by a panel of 48 experts which includes T V Mohandas Pai (Chairman Global Manipal Education), Dr. K Srinath Reddy (President PHFI and World Heart Federation), Dr. Arvind Panagariya (Professor of Economics at Columbia University), Dr. D N Kulkarni (President Agri Food at Jain Irrigation,) Ms Amita Chebbi (Country Director, Clinton Health Access) among others. Currently, voting is ongoing for the most popular solutions and more than 1 lac people have voted in the past 48 hours.
Manthan has received quality participation from some of the best colleges/universities in India - IITs, IIMs, ISB, AIMS, NUJS, Delhi University, National Law School, St Xavier's College, Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies and many more. The movement saw participation from all top rated 5 colleges across streams such as arts, law, management, agriculture, commerce, medical and engineering.
Since the launch on 25th July 2013, Manthan team has engaged with more than 2 crore youth and 10000 colleges in India through outreach initiatives like on-ground promotions, college workshops, distribution of publicity material, social & traditional media etc. 350 voluntary Manthan ambassadors were working with the team to publicize this movement in and around their colleges. Manthan website saw more than 4,50,000 unique visitors in a short span of one and a half month.
Manthan is being organised by Citizens for Accountable Governance (CAG), a not for profit organisation. Organisers of Manthan said, "Among youth, college-going population is a section which is aware and informed but at the same time is disenchanted with the current state of country's leadership, economy and governance. They do not vote because somewhere they lack the trust that their vote would count. Through Manthan, we aim to open a process of free dialogue between the government and youth and create stakeholders among youth for the upcoming elections."
About Citizens for Accountable Governance (CAG)
Citizens for Accountable Governance (CAG) is a not-for-profit organization with a vision to further strengthen accountable governance in India.
CAG believes that accountability and good governance are pivotal for the progress of any nation. While the existing institutions and relevant provisions have the requisite mechanisms in place, there is a need for further innovation and strengthening of the same.
CAG was initiated by a group of spirited professionals and has been expanding to include young people from diverse and prestigious educational and professional profiles. Members of CAG belong to institutes like IITs, IIMs, Stanford University, Cornell University etc. and have served organisations like McKinsey, All India Radio, J P Morgan, The Indian Express, Boston Consulting Group etc.
CAG operates with the belief that involvement of citizens is paramount to empowering governance in a democracy. According to temporal and contextual realities, CAG will position itself on issues of national concern. CAG aims to engage and empower fellow citizens through various engagement modules to be able to discuss issues that bring accountability in governance.
Enthused by the response of its first event, the Young Indian Leaders Conclave, CAG organized Manthan: India's biggest youth movement to help set the agenda for 2014 General Elections. CAG would continue to work on other modules of interaction targeting different sections of the nation and open up a healthy process of sustainable dialogue between them and the establishments at large. CAG witnesses itself as growing up into an advocacy group that involves multiple stakeholders on varied issues of national concerns.
Currently, CAG comprises of 60 plus full time contributors from different parts of India. In addition, there are about 100 part time volunteers who are associated with the organisation. CAG envisions itself as building a mass volunteer network spread across the length and breadth of the nation towards furthering the cause of accountable governance in India.
Primary Media Contact : Ipsita Nayak, [email protected], [email protected] 91-9687657714
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