We seek to understand how youth and youthood are shaped by the social, economic and political upheaval and transformation that mark India today. The country has moved from manufacturing to a service industry, and now a ‘gig economy’- these have brought in new possibilities, as well as vulnerabilities. A polarised political landscape, largely unchanging norms about marriage, relationships, education and career, are the realities that young people face. Even as social media and new forms of technology have re-defined their everyday social lives, conservative social norms continue to be upheld, often in the name of tradition or community, and the threat of violence for transgressions remains a constant.

Understanding youthhood within this complex socio-economic, cultural and political landscape is the challenging task that Kanaja has set for itself. We recognise that youthhood is not singular- caste, class, ability, gender, sexuality, community identities, among other axes of social difference- shape a young person’s life. Staying attentive to intersectional identities of young people, Kanaja will work to produce knowledge about youth and youthhood in ways that sees young people as collaborators and partners, rather than objects of knowledge production.

Some broad themes that Kanaja is interested in include

• To understand how disadvantage/privilege shape youthhood through the intersections of caste, class, gender, religion, region, disability, and sexuality.
• To understand youth attitudes towards caste, communalism, gender and other aspects of society.
• To understand the education and livelihood concerns of youth from disadvantaged social locations, and the opportunities they are able to access.
• To understand how youth from marginalised social locations experience exclusion/ inclusion within workplaces, and the transformations that become possible through work.