|
MAJOR DECISIONS AND INITIATIVES
YOUTH AFFAIRS
The UPA Government completes one year on May 21, 2005. During this period, the Government has taken several important initiatives. Some of these are being brought out in the series ‘Major Decisions and Initiatives’.
National Plan under National Youth Policy & Convergence
A National Committee under the Chairpersonship of Secretary (Youth Affairs & Sports) has been set up for preparation of National Plan of Action under National Youth Policy. Eight Sub-groups have been formed for working out strategies for sectoral integration and convergence. Convergence strategies have been worked out with other Ministries like Home Affairs, Culture & Tourism, Women & Child Development, Health & Family Welfare etc.
National Commission for Youth
The Government has examined the recommendations of the Commission and accepted most of the recommendations except two, and recommendations concerning other Ministries have been sent to them for their comments.
Strategies for Empowering Youth Clubs
Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), which has been spearheading the Youth Club movement in the country, has drawn up a multi-pronged strategy for empowering Youth Clubs and volunteers during 2004-2005 for promotion of youth movement in the country. One such major initiative relates to reorganising all registered Youth Clubs/Mahila Mandals/Sports Clubs as NGOs and considering them eligible for seeking assistance under various schemes undertaken by the Ministry through NGOs.
Focus on Adolescent Youth
A Scheme for Development and Empowerment of Adolescent has been launched in October 2004 to assist NGOs, educational institutions and other organisations for taking up programmes and projects for catering to the special needs of the adolescent (10-19 years). A Special Cell for Adolescent Youth has been set up in the Ministry. In a short spell of time, 90 District Counseling and Career Guidance Centres have been established in 19 States. In addition, 18 such centres have been set up through Nehru Yuva Kendra in each of the 18 districts affected by Tsunami tragedy. Fifty Life Skill Education Camps have been sanctioned to NGOs in 32 Districts in nine States.
Rashtriya Sadbhavana Yojna
With a view to encouraging spirit of volunteerism, leadership and sensitivity towards community needs, a Scheme titled ‘Rashtriya Sadbhavna Yojna’ has been approved. Under the scheme, 10-20 volunteers in each of the 500 districts are enrolled as volunteers for one year at a monthly honorarium of Rs.1000.
Gandhi Gramodaya Sankalp Abhiyan
An initiative “Gandhi Gramodaya Sankalp Abhiyan – Model Village Project” has been launched under Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan on October 2, 2004. The project aims at facilitating development of a few self-reliant villages in accordance with Gandhiji’s principles of Gram Swaraj. About 500 villages have been adopted for implementation of the project during the current financial year.
Management Information System (MIS)
A comprehensive Management Information System has been developed, right up to the youth club level, for the offices of the NYKS to effectively assess the progress under various programmes and initiatives. The system has been made operational with effect from January 2005.
Launch Of ‘Nehru Yuva Sandesh’
Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan has started publication of a monthly news magazine ‘Nehru Yuva Sandesh’ since November 2004. The 20-page magazine highlights and disseminates information about policies of the Union and State Governments, as well as best practices of the Youth Clubs affiliated to Nehru Yuva Kendras around the country.
Strengthening Of RGNIYD
The Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD), Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, which has been functioning since 1993 with a skeleton staff and one academic division, has been strengthened with the setting up five Divisions in different disciplines and 14 new posts have been sanctioned to run the Institute effectively.
HIV/ AIDS Awareness
With an objective to increase awareness among the youth on HIV/AIDS prevention and care, and to reaffirm their responsibilities towards the prevention of HIV/AIDS, a National Youth Parliament was organised jointly by Parliamentary Forum on HIV/AIDS, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan and UNAIDS in November 2004. The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, inaugurated the Mock Parliament. The World AIDS Day was observed on December 1, 2004, with special programmes, when nearly 8,000 young boys and girls participated in the programmes conducted in joint collaboration with several organisations of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
RK:LV
PIB SF-6 (8.5.05)
|
