|
The youth constitute nearly 40 per cent of India’s population. Being the most vibrant and dynamic segment of our country, the youth is our most valuable human resource. To optimally tap their constructive and creative energies, it is essential to develop their personality and involve them in Nation building activities. With this in view and to meet the need to establish a National level training institute which would bring all youth development activities under one umbrella, the premier national level apex Institute – Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD) was established in 1993 in Sriperumbdur, Tamil Nadu. The Institute, now on its way to become fully operational, was set up to sensitize and empower our youth to embrace the challenges of the 21st century through advanced studies and applied research in the field of youth development.
RGNIYD, an autonomous organization of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports aims to facilitate the youth with a conducive environment and tools that will enable them to make the most of their natural potential to realize their aspirations. The Institute aims to function as vital resource centre coordinating training, orientation, research, extension and outreach initiatives for State, Central Governments and National level youth organizations.
To meet these needs, the Institute is equipped with infrastructure facilities that match international standards, which include well-equipped Seminar and Conference Halls, Classrooms and 500-member capacity Auditorium with latest Audio-Visual aids. In keeping with its stature as a resource centre, RGNIYD has a well-organised and rich library with a large collection of books, journals and CD ROMs which are computerized for expeditious retrieval. Its library and information clearing-house is enabled to systematically collect, document, repackage and disseminate information online for easy access as a part of its documentation activity.
The mandate of RGNIYD is to function as a resource agency and think-tank for youth programmes, policies and implementation strategies. It develops multi-faceted programmes for youth keeping in view the social harmony and national unity as the ultimate objective. The Institute functions as a centre for documentation, information, research and publication pertaining to youth development.
The Institute has five divisions to carry out its multi-faceted activities. These are Training, Orientation and Extension (TOE), Research, Evaluation and Documentation/Dissemination (READ), International Centre For Excellence in Youth Development (ICEYD), Social Harmony and National Unity (SHANU) and Panchayati Raj Institutions and Youth Affairs (PRIYA) Division.
The Training, Orientation and Extension (TOE) division of RGNIYD innovates, develops and implements model or pilot projects, which can be emulated in youth related areas. The projects, which aim to transfer relevant knowledge and skill from campus to community development, are conceived and experimented for suitable adaptation and application. It also organizes training programmes for key youth functionaries and out training manuals and special modules to impart specific techniques.provides core training material and expertise in youth development. The Institute brings Research, Evaluation and Documentation/Dissemination (READ) division undertakes action research and evaluation studies which help in formulating policies and programmes to cater to the current needs and aspirations of the youth.
RGNIYD also serves as a national level documentation and information dissemination centre on youth development. The Institute comprehensively and cogently documents initiatives and experiments that are conducted in different parts of the country. RGNIYD’s computerized database, information consolidation products, Internet based services on youth development are a researcher’s delight. As a part of information dissemination, RGNIYD brings out a Journal Endeavour – Praythna apart from a Newsletter, Bulletins, Research Reports and occasional Papers on varied subjects relating to youth development.
RGNIYD adopts a multi-pronged strategy to promote youth development taking into account the requirements of the youth in the current national context and it constantly makes efforts to ensure that its programmes have desired impact. In its broad range of programmes, it covers the essential components of the input that would be required to ensure the wholesome and value based youth efflorescence. To inculcate the values of ethical rectitude, social harmony and national pride, RGNIYD has delivered a series of programmes on youth motivation and empowerment. Several other programmes were organized on the theme revolving around Entrepreneurship Development with the aim of motivating the youth and infusing in them the flair for self employment, exposing them to the rudiments of marketing strategies for Self Help Groups etc. Long Range Vision – Themes, Strategies and Approaches, Programmes for the guidance of the youth in North – Eastern Region, Special Programmes to mark the celebration of National and other important days, Theme Based National Seminars and Workshops, International Programmes, Research and Extension Projects and Documentation and Publication.
International Centre For Excellence in Youth Development (ICEYD) of the Institute organizes international programmes to facilitate sharing of knowledge, strategy and approach to contemporary youth related themes. The Centre intends to prepare ‘world ready-youth’ in this age of transcending boundaries and globalization. It has established links with international organizations like Commonwealth Youth Programme, UNEPA, SAARC and others.
In order to instill the cherished secular values and pluralistic traditions of our country, a new division – Social Harmony and National Integration was created in August, 2004. The division strives to sensitize youth to the concept, power, functions, role and responsibilities of PRIs and encourage youth to play an active role in organizing Gram Sabhas, maintenance of community assets, protecting human rights and promoting partnership with other local institutions. It enables youth to extend their cooperation in the selection of beneficiaries for the effective implementation of Poverty Alleviation programmes, as well as in social auditing.
Overall, this division focuses its multi-dimensional and inter-sectoral approach on bridging the organized and unorganized youth segments to function with their indigenous knowledge as an effective instrument for local and sustainable development.
The Institute has good boarding and lodging facilities in its well-contained hostel and guest-houses. The campus also houses the residential quarters for the faculty and staff of the Institute. This encourages off-classroom interaction between the faculty and the training participants in an informal setting in the lush green ambience of the Institute.
*Assistant Information Officer, PIB, New Delhi
|
