Miles to go in youth affairs

Shibani Dasgupta

There is little doubt that the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has failed in achieving the objects that it had set before itself in 1982. The drop out rate in schools is alarming, more so in the rural areas. The need is that this is addressed immediately even though the funding for the youth has been uneven and irregular. 

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, part of Human Resources Development has hardly fulfilled any of the aims and objects for which it was set up way back in 1982 at the time of the 9 ^th Asian Games in New Delhi.

 According to a report of the department related Parliamentary Standing Committee tabled in Rajya Sabha in the second half of the Budget Session, the dropout rate of children up to secondary level (Classes 1 to 10) is more than 60 percent and less than 40 percent children reach the senior secondary level.

 Further, this dropout rate is higher in rural areas than in urban areas.   In the backdrop of this situation the present scheme of NSS –with the primary focus on the development of personality of students through community service.   Since its inception, more than 2.8 crore students from universities, colleges and other educational institutions have participated in NSS activities as student volunteers.

 According to the finding of this Committee under the present scheme of NSS, a majority of youth do not get opportunity to take the benefit of this scheme. The Committee felt that the spirit of volunteerism can be inculcated more effectively, if it is done at a younger age.  The Committee had emphasized in the past also that NSS should be extended to Classes IX and X.   It has recommended that the HRD Ministry take necessary steps at the earliest in this direction.

 In the formulation of the 11^th Plan a working group on Youth Affairs and Adolescents Development had pointed out experience of funding have been uneven and has been found to be lop-sided in terms of its presence and coverage in different states.   There is also need for new initiatives for the NSS volunteers in the contemporary environment.  Also, post of Programme Advisor at the level of Central Government has not been filled up for many years.   Weaknesses have also been observed in the posting of state liaison officers at the state level.

 The Committee was told at its last, but very recent meeting that the actual expenditure on Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) was much lesser the truncated funds allocated to it as per plan allocation of 2006-07 at the revised estimate state.   The Committee expressed its concern about the low level of expenditure, both under plan and non plan heads.  It regretted that even such a small allocation could not be spent in time.   The Committee, chaired by Mr. Janardan Dwivedi, said it would like to be apprised of the factors that affected the expenditure for non-plan head under NYKS.

 The major thrust of NYKS has been to form new youth clubs and women's circles.   The Ministry has fixed no target for formation of new youth clubs or women's circles for the year 2007-08.   Instead it intends to strengthen the already existing clubs and circles.   In actual terms the number of these youth clubs for men and women have gone down between 2004-05 and 2005-06, the Committee report has emphasized and the spread is uneven across the country.

 The Committee also found that Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Delhi, Goa, Lakshdweep, Mizoram, Nagaland, Pondicherry, Sikkim and Tripura do not have adequate number of youth clubs or mahila mandals.

 There is a difference of perception between the HRD Ministry about opening more youth clubs for the men and women.   While the Committee desires that NYKS be set up in more districts of the country.  Ministry wants strengthening and consolidation of the existing ones.   The Standing Committee has also said: it was brought to its notice that in certain cases, funds have been released to the Clubs having doubtful antecedents, and has urged the Ministry to ensure that funds are not released to the Youth Clubs without verifying them.

 Rahstriya Sadhbhavana Yojana was launched in 2005 in place of National Reconstruction Corps Scheme.   The scheme aims at encouraging leadership among the rural youth.  The Committee has noted that performance of the scheme have been uneven in different states, as the youth clubs should be registered for at least three years.   States like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have suffered because getting registration in these states is difficult.

 The Committee hoped that the Ministry must have taken up the matter of slow registration of clubs with concerned states to resolve it so that the plan of having a group of 5000 volunteers at the district or grass-root level can be gone ahead with and later assimilated with, if necessary with the panchayat level.

 The Standing Committee have noted that additional funds allocated to it under budget estimates for 2006-07 had been spent in the first three quarters of the financial year that is 31-12-06.   The Committee would like to know the reasons behind this complete non-utilisation of funds, it would also like to know, the report said how the Ministry managed to collect 4,925 volunteers against a target of over 5900 volunteers fixed 2006-07, without spending a single rupee till end December 2006.

 Construction and running of youth Hostels in different parts of the country are another activity of the HRD Ministry that has left much to be desired.   The Standing Committee report has pointed out that over youth hostel projects, the Ministry has been failing miserably in completing the task of creating hostel space over the years.   The Committee has found this situation disappointing and strongly recommended that the Ministry take remedial steps in this regard.

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