Youth Affairs: Indian ministry
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INDIA 2012
A REFERENCE ANNUAL
Compiled by
RESEARCH, REFERENCE AND TRAINING DIVISION
PUBLICATIONS DIVISION
MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
Youth Affairs
YOUTH is on the threshold of an unique demographic dividend with young persons. The population of persons below the age of 35 years is about 70 per cent of the total population. Within this, the population between the age of 10-19 years is approximately 225 million, the largest ever cohort of young people to make a transition to adulthood. It is this population of young people, which constitutes for India, a potential demographic dividend, and/or challenge of mega proportions if not properly addressed and harnessed. This "Youth Bulge" in the light of its impact on work participation and dependency ratios has been called a window of opportunity in terms of growth and development of our country, an opportunity which would need to be seized before the window closes. This poses its own challenges with reference to inclusive growth and the need to bridge divides. The requirements for this will transcend sectorial programmes, and would require a variety of interventions and programmes aimed at addressing the youth in a multidimensional manner.
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has been designated as the nodal Ministry for development and empowerment of youth and adolescents in the country. To achieve the goals of empowering and enabling the youth to become effective and productive participants, a de novo look at the existing policies, instruments and institutions, initiation of innovative policies, efficient, effective and creative ways to rejuvenate institutions have been taken up. Synergy and convergence of efforts with other Ministries/Departments have also been initiated. "Sports" as an identifiable subject needs to be shown as an integral element of youth development. With a view to ensuring sport development as an integral aspect of youth development and youth development as critical to accelerated national development, the National Sports Policy 2001 lays special emphasis on "Broad basing of Sports" at the national and international levels. The Twenty Point Programme also speaks of "Yuva Vikas" or Youth Development by providing universal access to sports in rural and urban areas. The nationwide rural sports infrastructure scheme christened the Panchayat Yuva Krida Aur Khel Abhiyan (PYKKA) aims at achieving the above mentioned objectives by providing basic sports infrastructure and equipment at the panchayat level and encouraging sports and games in rural areas through annual competitions at the block and district levels. PYKKA will help States in promoting sports at the grassroots level, which they have not been able to achieve on their own so far due to severe resource constraints. It will also deepen and widen the seedbed of sporting talent, leading to better performances by our sportspersons in national and international events.
YOUTH SERVICES
NATIONAL YOUTH POLICY, 2003
The first National Youth Policy was formulated and laid in Parliament in 1988. A need was felt to revise the existing National Youth Policy, as a result of rapid socioeconomic transformation in the country. The new National Youth Policy, 2003 formulated by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, is designed to galvanise
the youth to rise up to the new challenges, keeping in view the global scenario and aims at motivating them to be active partners in national development. The age group of the Youth, as per the National Youth Policy, 2003, is 13 to 35 years. The New Policy recognises four thrust areas viz., (i) Youth Empowerment; (ii) Gender Justice; (iii) Inter-Sectoral Approach; and (iv) Information and Research Network. The Policy includes eight key sectors for the development of youth. The Policy also identifies five priority groups of young people. The Policy provides implementation mechanism through which various development programmes and activities will be undertaken for the youth with active involvement of the State Governments and Union Ministries and Departments. The Department of Youth Affairs is actively reviewing the existing National Youth Policy, 2003. The draft Youth Policy 2011 is built upon ten thrust areas viz., promotion of national values, social harmony and national unity, empowering youth through employment and entrepreneurship opportunities, education—formal and non-formal health, health-related issues and healthy lifestyle, promoting gender justice and equality, participation in community service, preparing adolescents for facing challenges of life, social justice and action against unhealthy social practices, issues related to environment, its conservation and preservation, and youth and local governance, including support to state-sponsored programmes and schemes. The draft has been circulated by the Department of Youth Affairs to various Ministries/Departments for their comments/suggestions. The draft has also been put on the official website of the Department of youth Affairs for the public to offer their suggestions.
NATIONAL PROGRAMME FOR YOUTH AND ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT
The scheme titled National Programme for Youth and Adolescent Development (NPYAD) has been formulated by merger of four 100% Central sector Grants-in-aid schemes of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports during 10th Plan namely, Promotion of Youth Activities & Training, Promotion of National Integration, Promotion of Adventure and Development and Empowerment of Adolescents, with a view to reducing the multiplicity of schemes with similar objectives and ensuring uniformity in funding pattern and implementation mechanism, avoiding delays in availability of fund to the field level and institutionalizing participation of State Governments in project formulation and its implementation. While there will be synergy and convergence in operation mechanism and programme delivery, there will be clear distinction with regard to the financial parameters of each of the components under the scheme. The Scheme has come into existence with effect from 1 April, 2008. Under the scheme, proposals from All India Organisations are received directly and proposals from State Level Organisations through the concerned State Government/UT administration, duly verified by a designated State Level Screening Committee (SLSC), constituted for the purpose before recommending to the Ministry, indicating their priority.
The scheme is being implemented in the project mode through Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs). The PIA may submit project proposal involving one or more programme area or components under the scheme but the key factor for consideration of the project will be the past experience and resource (infrastructure and technical manpower) available with the PIA.
A duly constituted project appraisal Committee (PAC) headed by Secretary (Youth Affairs) in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports considers the proposals. The recommendations of the PAC thereafter are placed for approval of the competent authority in the Ministry.
OBJECTIVES OF THE SCHEME
Short term objectives = Provide opportunity for holistic development of youth including adolescents for realisation of their fullest potential; = Develop leadership qualities and personality development of youth and to channelise their energy towards socio-economic development and growth of the nation;
= Promote national integration, strengthen secular and eclectic outlook through creative expressions by youth; = Foster the spirit of adventure, risk taking, teamwork, the capacity of ready and vital response to challenging situations and of endurance among youth; = Acknowledge adolescents as a distinct subgroup among youth and address their distinct needs and at the same time provide positive stimulation and congenial environment for their all-round development; and = To encourage research and publication and to promote technical resource support including development of information and database on issues concerning youth and adolescents. Long-term objectives = Engage and channelize the energy of youth in a positive manner for nation building; = Develop amongst youth a sense of pride in nationally accepted values like democracy, socialism, and secularism; = Promote activities and programmes, which foster social harmony and national unity among youth; = Promote spirit of national integration, unity in diversity, pride in Indianness among the youth of different parts of the country and to induce a sense of social harmony amongst the youth; = To motivate the youth to act as local point for dissemination of knowledge in the rural area and involve them in nation building process; = To stimulate action for development and empowerment of adolescents, particularly from the economically and socially neglected/backward sections of society; = To build and develop an environment which recognises the specific needs and promise of the adolescents in the country and provides for adolescent friendly services.
BENEFICIARIES
Target youth and adolescents under the scheme:-The targeted beneficiaries of the programmes include members of the youth clubs affiliated to the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, National Service Scheme, State Government Youth
Organisations. Bharat Scouts & Guides or students in Schools, Colleges and Universities. Adolescents and Youth from other established youth organisations or NGOs may be considered provided they are the registered members of such organisations. Preference may be given to the youth with special abilities and youth belonging to scheduled caste, scheduled tribes, minorities and weaker sections. Youth will cover persons of the age group between 13-25 years and adolescent will cover persons between the age group of 10-19 years.
Gender budgeting:- In selection of beneficiary women will have a distinct priority and care should be taken to include at least one-third beneficiaries from women.
NATIONAL SERVICE SCHEME
National Service Scheme (NSS) is a noble experiment in academic expansion. It inculcates the spirit of voluntary work among the students and teachers through sustained community interactions. Over the years, NSS has emerged as India's student youth movement in linking with the community. National Service Scheme, popularly known as NSS was launched in Gandhiji's Birth Centenary year-1969, in 37 universities involving 40,000 students, with primary focus on the development of personality of students through community service. Today, NSS has more than 3.2 million student volunteers on its roll spread over 251 Universities in 14,698 colleges/institutes of higher and technical education and 8174 Secondary Schools all over the country.
The National Service Scheme has two types of programmes, viz. "Regular Activities" and "Special Camping Programmes" undertaken by its volunteers. Under 'Regular Activities', NSS volunteers devote 120 hrs per year for two consecutive years, which includes 20 hrs. of general orientation regarding NSS and the mode of work they have to do in their volunteership. During this period they work in their adopted villages/slums in the field of cleanliness, adult education, environment conservation/protection, etc.
Special Camping provides unique opportunities to the students for group living. Collective experience sharing and constant interaction with community. Special Camping programmes are organized generally on various developmental issues of national importance. The current theme of Special Camping is Healthy Youth for Healthy India. Every Year half of the volunteers of each NSS Unit are expected to participate in Special Camps which is of 7 days duration. Union and State Governments jointly fund this programme in the ratio of 7:5 in all States except North East Region. Sikkim and Hilly Terrains where the ratio is 3:1. In J&K and all the Union Territories, Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya Vidyalayas the programme is fully funded by the Government of India. As per the revised norms of the scheme from 1-4-2010 expenditure of Rs.250/- per volunteer per annum for Regular Activities and Rs.450/- per volunteer per annum for Special Camping Programme is admissible for the states in rest of India. At National level, the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports looks after policy planning and monitoring of the scheme. A Programme Advisor's Cell headed by a Programme Adviser has been entrusted with assessing and monitoring the targets set for students under NSS, and those under Special Camping Programme. 15 Regional Centres are functioning in various States under the control of Deputy or Assistant Programme Advisor or Youth Officer. At the State level, State NSS cello are established by Central Government.
To train the NSS Programme Officers and to equip them with modern skills of social development, five orientation Training and Research Centres (TORCs) and 13 Training and Orientation Centres (TOCs) are working all over the country which are funded by the Government of India. These institutions run orientation as well as refresher courses for the field functionaries associated with the NSS volunteers. In the year 2010-11 there is a target to enroll 32,46,058 lakh volunteers for Regular activities which has already been achieved. A number of 13,310 Special Camps are to be organised in adopted villages, against which 7084 special camps were organised.
Rajiv Gandhi Adventure Scheme
With a view to promote adventure activities among student youth, Rajiv Gandhi Adventure Scheme was launched on 26 June, 2009 to be conducted all over the country from Himalayan region in the North and in Kunnur and Tekkadi in South India; on a yearly basis for 2000 NSS volunteers with at least 50% of the volunteers being girl students. The adventure activities to be undertaken in these camps include trekking (mountain and desert), white water rafting, para-sailing, para-gliding and basic skiing.
Pre-Republic Day and Republic Day Camps
NSS volunteers participate in the Republic Day Parade on Rajpath every year. To select the marching contingent, 5 Pre-Republic Day Parade Camps were organised at Sikkim, Trichy, Kotal, Bhopal, and Ropar. One thousand NSS Volunteers (after initial selection) and NSS Programme Officers participated in these camps. Out of the 1000 volunteers, 200 volunteers were finally selected to take part in the month long Republic Day Camp at New Delhi in January.
In 1993-94, during the Silver Jubilee Year of NSS, the IGNSS Awards were instituted to give recognition to selfless service rendered by the NSS volunteers, programme officers and the programme coordinators. This award is conferred—(i) Best University (Programme Coordinator), (ii) 6 best Programme Officers and 6 Units and (iii) 16 best NSS Volunteers. The prize money for Indira Gandhi NSS Award has been significantly enhanced for all categories. The University / +2 Council level award now carries a cash prize of Rs.2,00,000/-; Rs.70,000/- each for six NSS units; Rs.20,000/- each for six Programme Officers and Rs.15,000/- each for sixteen volunteers. It has also been decided to increase the number of awards. The awards for the year 2010-11 will be presented to 10 NSS Unites/Programme Officers instead of six and 30 NSs Volunteers instead of the present number of 16.
NEHRU YUVA KENDRA SANGATHAN
India is on the threshold of a unique demographic dividend with youth being a major strategic asset. The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, the nodal Ministry for youth empowerment and development has been working towards inculcating in the youth an enhanced sense of volunterism, community service, personality development and good citizenship. Towards this end the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, one of its flagship implementing arms endeavours to help set up, mentor and nurture rural youth clubs.
Nehru Yuva Kendras were established in the year 1972 with the objective of providing rural youth avenues to take part in the process of nation building as well providing opportunities for the development of their personality and skills. In the year 1987-88, Nehru Yova Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) was set up as an autonomous organization under the Government of India, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, to oversee working of these Kendras.
NYKS alongwith the rural youth clubs is the largest grassroot level voluntary oganization; one of its kind in the world. It channelises the power of youth who are in the age group of 13-35 years on the principles of volunatism, self-help and community participation, NYKS has 501 Kendras, 28 Zonal offices and over 1.25 lakh village based active youth clubs with enrollment of about 37 lakh voluneers. The aim is to form village level voluntary action groups of youth at the grassroots level and harness this huge potential for nation building activities. It is proposed to expand NYKS to the remaining 122 new districts of the country during the current 11th Plan period.
The youth clubs and its member volunteers form the base of the NYKS's vast national rural network. NYKS, with its extensive spread and network of youth clubs, nearly 20000 National Youth Corps (NYC) volunteers and Nehru Yuva Kendras has developed into a vibrant mechanism to offer an opportunity to the youth to function as a strategic asset for the country.
A hugh exercise was conducted by NYKS recently for a complete validation and survey of all the existing 3.5 lakh youth clubs, involving 12000 youth volunteers in a 85 day campaign. A comprehensive database of 1.25 lakh active youth clubs with a 37 lakh membership at the grassroots level has been created and online database will be made available on the website of NYKS.
The basic through its various programmes, NYKS attempts to bring forth the youth in the mainstream of national development as active participants, responsible and productive citizens of 5 modern India. NYKS has been involved in undertaking program literacy, advocacy, awareness campaign, social audit and assistance in implementation of flagship programs of various government departments for socioeconomic development through an independent grassroots level network of over one lakh village based youth clubs. Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan regularly undertakes activities for capacity building and awareness of Youth Clubs, skill upgradation and training for employability of Rural Youth, as well as their personality development and good citizenship. NYKS is also engaged in organizing adventure activities for the youth, inter-school games and other sports events at Block, District and State levels. NYKS also organizes National Youth Festival having cultural activities, competitive events, exhibition of handicrafts, food festival etc. weaving a social fabric of different hues of the country's vibrant youth.
A paradigm shift in the utilization of the vast network of NYKS and its field units has commenced. One such role which the Department has recently taken as a major initiative has been synergy and convergence of efforts with the Government of India as well as State Governments. Youth Clubs and NYC volunteers now provide ample opportunities and a suitable platform for outreaching various programs and schemes of the Government of India and the State Governments. This network has been found useful in multifarious ways through program literacy, advocacy, program
implementation in possible areas on pilot basis and social audit of some of the major flagship programs of the Government.
YOUTH HOSTELS
Youth Hostels are built to promote youth travel to enable the young people experience the rich cultural heritage of the country. The construction of the Youth Hostels is a joint venture of the Central and State Governments. While the Central Government bears the cost of construction, the State Governments provide fully developed land free of cost with water, electricity and approach roads. Youth hostels are located in areas of historical and cultural value, educational centre, tourist importance etc. Where facilities for youth activities are available. These provide good accommodation for the youth at reasonable rates. The Youth Hostels are looked after by Managers, appointed by the Central Government. Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (Department of Youth Affairs), Government of India, have decided to select Managers for the Youth Hostels from retired Defence Personnels preferably from the catchment area of the Youth Hostel and having command over Hindi, English and local languages. Under the new appointment policy, persons retired from Defence Services (The Army/Navy/Airforce) in the rank of Major/Lt. Col./Col. or equivalent are eligible for appointing as Managers in Youth Hostels. Willing retired JCO's can also be appointed.
During the current financial year 2010-11, the tariff charges of the Youth Hostels have been revised. The last revision of the tariff charges was during 2003. So far 80 Youth Hostels have been constructed across the country and 5 more youth hostels are under various stages of construction. Out of 80 Youth Hostels, 12 Hostels have been transferred to Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the respective State Governments for optimum use for youth and sports development.
An amount of Rs.1,00,00,000/- (Rupees One crore only) @ Rs.5.00 lakh each Youth Hostel have been released during the current financial year, 2010-11 for undertaking immediate face-lifting of 20 Youth Hostels located at Port Blair (A&N Island), Vijayawada (AP), Pedam Mapusa (Goa), Gandhinagar (Gujarat), Dalhousie (HP), Thirtharameshwar (Karnataka), Kozhikode (Kerala), Jabalpur (MP), Gopalpuron- Sea (Odisha), Puri (Odisha), Ajmer (Rajasthan), Jaipur (Rajasthan), Tanjavur (Tamil Nadu), Trichy (Tamil Nadu), Agra, (UP), Mussoorie (Uttarakhand), Darjeeling (WB), Tezpur (Assam), Gangtoak (Sikkim), Agartala (Tripura). Five Youth Hostels located at Jallandhar (Punjab), Kadappa (Andhra Pradesh), Roing (Arunachal Pradesh), Churachandpur & Thoubal (Manipur) are at advanced stages of construction. Out of these five Youth Hostels, two Youth Hostels at Jallandhar (Punjab) and Thoubal (Manipur) are likely to be completed by the end of the current financial year. The Ministry is also working towards giving the existing youth hostels a new look and new working system to meet the expectation of today's youth.
NATIONAL YOUTH AWARDS
Department of Youth Affairs, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports presents National Youth Awards every year to motivate young persons to achieve excellence in the field of national service and to encourage them to develop a sense of responsibility to their community and to improve their own potential as good citizens and young leaders.
The Award consists of a silver medal, a shawl, a certificate and a cash prize of Rs.40,000/- to the individual award winners and Rs.2 lakhs to the voluntary organization. The member of awards given each year would ordinarily not exceed 25. These awards are normally given on the opening day of the National Youth Festival. The awards for 2009-10 were given by Shri M. Hamid Ansari, Hon'ble Vice President to 22 individuals during the 16th National Youth Festival at Udaipur on 12 January, 2011.
Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award
Tenzing Norgay in the field of adventure and encourages young people to develop the spirit of endurance, risk taking, cooperative teamwork and quick, ready and effective reflexes in challenging situations. Normally, one award each in the field of air adventure, water adventure and land adventure is given. A lifetime achievement award is also given annually. The award consists among other things an amount of Rs.5.00 lakhs each.
National Youth Corps
The Government has launched a new Scheme "National Youth Corps" during the current financial year 2010-11 to tap the potential of the youth and channelising their energy towards nation building. This is in pursuance of the President's Address to both Houses of Parliament in June 2009 and also the Prime Minister's announcement in October 2009 for Jammu & Kashmir. The Scheme envisages enrollment of 20,000 volunteers, of which 8,000 are to be deployed in Jammu and Kashmir and 12,000 volunteers in other States.
objective
l To set up a group of disciplined and dedicated youth who have the inclination and spirit to engage in the rask of nation building. l To act as points for dissemination of information, basic knowledge in the community. l To act as group modulators and peer group educators. l To act as role models for the younger people specially towards enhancement of public ethics, probity and dignity of labour.' The NYC Scheme enables young men and women in the age group of 18-25 years to serve up to two years on a full time basis up to March 2012 for which they receive an honorarium of Rs.2500/- per month. Representation from the weaker sections of the society and gender balance is encouraged. Till date 17600 volunteers including 7098 volunteers in Jammu & Kashmir have been selected, trained and deployed by the Ministry and the State Government of J&K in different districts across the country. The youth volunteers of the National Youth Corps (NYC) have been deployed in various areas of deployment, inter-alia, in :
(i) Panyachayats (J&K)
(ii) Cleaning and maintenance of Dal & Nagin Lake.
(iii) Youth Club Survey and Validation Program across villages in the country.
(iv) Assistance
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(v) Initiation of training of youth leaders and formation of supervisory committees under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) (vi) Promotion of Rural Sports under Panchayat Yuva Krida Aur Khel Abhiyan (PYKKA)
(vii) Voter Awareness Campaigns in State Assembly Elections in Jharkhand & Maharashtra (2009)
(viii) Bihar (2010) with Election Commission of India.
NATIONAL YOUTH FESTIVAL
Every year, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has been celebrating the birthday of Swami Vivekananda, the great philosopher and thinker. Earlier, the National Youth Festival was celebrated from 12 - 16 January. Now it has been decided to celebrate the Festival from 8th to 12th January every year. Holding of National Youth Festival began in 1995 as a major activity under the programme of National Integration Camp (NIC). The idea behind a Youth Festival is to organize a gathering of the youth so that the concept of National Integration, spirit of communal harmony, brotherhood, courage and adventure may be propagated. Like the National Youth Festival, States are also encouraged to hold State level, district level and block level youth festivals.
RAJIV GANDHI NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD) a Deemed University under section 3 of University Act 1956 was set up as an autonomous body by the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India and registered under Societies Registration Act, XXVII of 1975 S.No. 67 of 1993. It has emerged as the professional resource agency, and acts as a think-tank of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and assists the Government and Non-government agencies in youth related activities. As the apex Institute at the national level, it works in close cooperation with the NSS, NYK and other youth organisations in the implementation of training programmes. The Institute is a nodal agency for training youth and a facilitator of youth development activities in rural as well as in urban areas.
The institute is provided with the essential facilities and infrastructure so that it would serve as a Centre of Advanced Study and applied Research for ensuring availability of professional expertise in youth work and to create a competent cadre of youth workers. As a regular feature of its functional activities, the institutes has launched a number of research projects and extension programmes to unearth the potential in the young people which perhaps remains untapped. It provides a forum for youth to debate and discuss issues that concern them as well as those that impinge on their development.
Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development has been playing a vital and catalystic role at the national level as the apex institute for Training, Research, Action, Consultancy, Dissemination and Documentation activities in the field of youth development. This institute has five Divisions besides the Administrative Division, each under a Faculty Head. On being declared a deemed University in 2008, RGNIYD has launched 5 Master level academic programmes aiming at professionalizing the
concept of youth work through which empowerment of youth can be achieved. The academic programmes are Master of Arts in 1) Youth Empowerment, 2) Career Counseling, 3) Gender Studies, 4) Local Governance and 5) Life Skills Education. An important mandate of the institute is the formulation of Core Training Materials, Training Manuals and Special Modules to impart specific inputs in different areas which are replicable in any part of the country. The institute does this through consultations with experts in the specific area to prepare the modules which are then refined and revised after pilot testing among the stakeholders. The Institute has prepared and brought out several modules/manuals viz Social Harmony and National Unity, Career Guidance for Teachers, Life Skills for Adolescents, Gender Equity and Youth, Model Youth Clubs, Leadership and Personality Development, Tribal Youth as Social Animators, Training Youth in Citizenship Rights and Social Harmony, Youth in Border Districts and NSS Training Manual.
COMMONWEALTH YOUTH PROGRAMMES (CYP)
The Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP) vision is to work towards a society where young women and men are empowered by developing their potential creativity and skills as productive and dynamic members of their societies. These young men and women are enable to participate fully at every level of decision making development successfully promoting Commonwealth values of international cooperation, social justice, democracy and human rights. This programme came into being in 1974 with the overall purpose of promoting the development of youth in the Commonwealth. This programme encourages and supports the youth in the process of national development and provides opportunities for increasing international understanding.
CYP Asia Centre at Chandigarh, is one of the four CYP Regional establishments along with the Centres in Lusaka (Zambia) for the Africa Region, Georgetown (Guyana) for the Caribbean region and Solomon Islands for the South Pacific region. The overall responsibility for CYP lies with the Commonwealth Secretariat at London. The activities of the CYP including the Asia Centre are directed by Youth Affairs Unit of the Commonwealth Secretariat. The Asia Centre meets the specific needs of eight Commonwealth Countries of the region, namely, Brunei Darussalam, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Maldives, Singapore and Sri Lanka. At present, there are three major strategic areas on which Commonwealth Youth Programme is concentrating : - National Youth Policy; - Human Resource Development; and - Youth Empowerment. The programmes are financed by member countries and India.
EXCHANGE OF DELEGATIONS OF YOUTH AT INTERNATIONAL LEVEL
The Department endeavors to create an international perspective in collaboration with other countries and international agencies/organizations on various youth issues. The Department also collaborates with the Commonwealth Youth Programme Asia Centre, Chandigarh in organizing a number of events concerning youth in Commonwealth countries in the Asia-Pacific Region. Under this programme exchange of youth delegations with friendly countries is taken up on reciprocal Youth Affairs and Sports 1219 basis for promoting exchange of ideas, values and culture amongst the youth of 23 different countries and also to develop international understanding. Exchange of youth delegations.
