NATIONAL

YOUTH
2014

POLICY
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

IMPORTANCE OF YOUTH

YOUTH RELATED EFFORTS IN INDIA

VISION, OBJECTIVES AND PRIORITY

AREAS OF NYP-2014

CURRENT POLICIES AND FUTURE IMPERATIVES

Education
Employment and Skill Development
Entrepreneurship
Health and Healthy Lifestyle
Sports
Promotion of Social Values
Community Engagement
Participation in Politics and Governance
Youth Engagement
Inclusion
Social Justice

MONITORING, EVALUATION AND REVIEW

RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE WAY FORWARD

LIST OF ACRONYMS
 EXECUTIVE SUMM

1. India lies on the cusp of a demographic transitio

to the one that fuelled the spectacular rise in GD
East Asian Tigers in the second half of the 20th
However, in order to capture this demographic d
it is essential that the economy has the ability to
the increase in the labour force and the youth
appropriate education, skills, health awareness a
enablers to productively contribute to the econo

2. Youth in the age group of 15-29 years compris

of the population. At present, about 34% of Indi
National Income (GNI) is contributed by the yout
15-29 years. However, there exists a huge pote
increase the contribution of this class of the
citizenry by increasing their labour force participa
their productivity.

3. The Government of India (GoI) currently1 inve

than Rs 90,000 Crores per annum on youth devel
programmes or approximately Rs 2,710 per young in
per year, through youth-targeted (higher educati
development, healthcare etc.) and non-targete
subsidies, employment etc.) programmes. In addit
State Governments and a number of other stak
are also working to support youth development
enable productive youth participation. However, in
organisations in non-Government sector are s
 Create a productive workforce
Education
Entrepreneurship
The National Youth Policy, 2014 (NYP-2014) seeks
Emplyoment & Skill Development
efine the Vision of the Government of India for
Youth of the Country and identify the key areas in
ch action is required, where not enough is being
e, to enable youth development and to provide Develop a strong and healthy g
ramework for action for all stakeholders. It is Health and Healthy Lifestyle
nded to serve as a guiding document, and should TO EMPOWER Spor ts
reviewed in 5 years, so that GoI may re-focus its YOUTH OF THE
rities for youth development, as may be necessary.
COUNTRY TO
ACHIEVE THEIR
YP-2014 provides a holistic Vision for the youth Instill social values & promote co
FULL POTENTIAL,
India which is “to empower the youth of the Promotion of Social Values
AND THROUGH
ntry to achieve their full potential, and through Community Engagement
THEM ENABLE
enable India to find its rightful place in the
INDIA TO FIND ITS
munity of nations”. In order to achieve this
RIGHTFUL PLACE IN
on, all stakeholders must work towards meeting 5
objectives. This requires specific action in one or THE COMMUNITY
e of 11 priority areas, identified as important for OF NATIONS
Facilitate participation and civic
th development. The following Exhibit summarises
Par ticipation in Politics & Gove
Vision, the objectives and the priority areas of
Youth Engagement
-2014. It also lists the enablers available to achieve
e objectives.

he Policy seeks to recommend specific future policy Support youth at risk & create equtable oppo
rventions required in each of the 11 priority areas. Inclusion
se are summarised in Exhibit E.2. Social Justice
 TIVE PRIORITY FUTURE IMPERATIVES in the 11 priority areas of action, it is imperative

Education • Build system capacity and quality

a concerted effort from all stakeholders. A stak
• Promote skill development and lifelong learning map must be drawn up and stakeholder ro
that responsibilities should be identified. The gov
a Employment and • Targeted youth outreach and awareness
must increase its investment in youth in order to c
e Skill Development • Build linkages across systems and stakeholders
on to on the opportunity they present. For this, all gov
• Define role of government vis-a-vis other stakeholders
nomic departments must make a determined effort to
ent Entrepreneurship • Targeted youth outreach programmes
youth mainstreaming across sectors and polic
• Scale-up effective programmes to build capacity
There are several tools that can be leveraged i
• Create customised programmes for youth entrepreneurs
• Implement widespread monitoring & evaluation systems to promote youth development, including socia
which enjoys high penetration amongst the yo
a Health and • Improve service delivery
• Awareness about health, nutrition and preventive care the network of existing youth development organ
healthy Healthy Lifestyle
equipped • Targeted disease control programmes for youth
future • Increase access to sports facilities and training 8. In addition, it is important to monitor and
Sports
• Promotion of sports culture among youth the success of NYP-2014. A set of leading and
• Support and development for talented sports persons
indicators have been identified. A baseline ass
Promotion of • Formalise values education system must be undertaken across these indicators, annua
ial
Social Values • Strengthen engagement programmes for youth
promote must be set and progress against these targets mo
• Support NGOs and for-profit organisations working
service
towards spreading values and harmony The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports should
tional
a Biennial Report on the status of the youth i
Community • Leverage existing community development organisations
Engagement • Promote social entrepreneurship to inform the Nation about progress against in
highlight key achievements and identify new an
e Participation • Engage youth outside of the political system
n and civic challenges. The report shall also serve the
in politics and • Create governance mechanisms that youth can leverage
nt at all governance • Promote youth engagement in urban governance of informing the youth of the country about
vernance
government initiatives for the development of th
• Measure and monitor effectiveness of youth
Youth
development schemes
engagement
• Create a platform for engagement with youth 9. All through history, youth have been the ha
of change – from winning independence for na
youth Inclusion • Enablement & capability building for disadvantaged youth
create • Ensuring economic opportunities for youth in creating new technologies that upset the stat
pportunity conflict-affected regions to new forms of art, music and culture. Support
dvantaged • Develop a multi-pronged approach to supporting promoting the development of India’s youth
lised youth youth with disability
one of the foremost priorities, across all sect
• Create awareness and opportunities to prevent youth
being put at risk stakeholders, of this nation.
IMPORTANCE OF YO

Definition of the ‘Youth’

1.1 Youth is a more fluid category tha
age-group. ‘Youth’ is often indicated as
between the age where he/she leaves co
education, and the age at which he/she f
her first employment. Often, Youth ag
is defined differently by different c
agencies and by same agency in d
contexts. United Nations defines ‘yo
persons between 15 and 24 years of age2

1.2 In the National Youth Policy-2003,

was defined a person of age betwee
years, but in the current Policy Docum
youth age-group is defined as 15-29 year
view to have a more focused approach,
various policy interventions are concerne

1.3 However, it needs to be recognised

young persons within this age-group are
to be a homogeneous group. Different s
of the Youth would have different ne
 EXHIBIT E.3 INDIA TO HAVE A VERY
(1,321 million/1,383 milli
FAVOURABLE DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE 80+Age
EXHIBIT E.3 INDIA TO HAVE
70
A VERY FAVOURABLE 60

DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE 50

40 42.
30 37.6
20

10

2008 202

JAPAN
e Demographic Dividend (128 million/123 million
80+Age

70

60

50
INDIA STANDS TO BENEFIT FROM ITS
40
44.2 48.
OURABLE DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE: 30

20

th in the age group of 15-29 years comprise 27.5% 10

3 0
he population . India is expected to become the
2008 202
largest economy by 2025, contributing about
1. Working population includes only economically active popul
CHINA INDIA
Sources: National statistical institutes; BCG analysis.
-6% to the world GDP, only after the United
(1,321 million/1,383 million) (1,153 million/1,334 milli
es, China and Japan4 . While most of these 80+Age 80+Age

ntries face the risk of an ageing workforce, India 70 70

60 60
xpected to have a very favourable demographic
50 50

file, as shown in Exhibit 1.3. The population 40 42.0 40

30 37.6 30
ndia is expected to exceed 1.3 billion by 2020 2
20 20

a median age of 28 which is considerably less 10 10 24.4

0 0
the expected median ages of China and Japan. 2020 2008 20
2008
working population of India, is expected to
JAPAN UNITED STATES
ease to 592 million by 2020, next only to China (128 million/123 million) (304 million/330 millio
million), pointing to the fact that youth will 80+Age 80+Age

70 70
e a significant contribution to the economic
60 60
elopment of the country. This ‘demographic 50 50

40
44.2 48.6
dend’ offers a great opportunity to India. 40
3
30 30 36.8
20 1. Working population includes 20

10 only economically active population 10

 YOUTH RELAT
EFFORTS IN IN

2.1 GOI CURRENTLY INVESTS IN

THROUGH A WIDE RANGE OF PROGRA
GoI spends a considerable amount of m
youth development through Ministries t
schemes targeted at the youth and sche
target the general population of the
GoI spends about Rs.37,000 crores on
targeted at development of youth i
of education, health, skill developme
engagement and about Rs.55,000 cr
non-targeted schemes designed for
demographic segments of which yo
significant beneficiaries. Together, this
spend of more than Rs.90,000 crores (Exhi
 EXHIBIT E.4 GOI TARGETED AND NON-TARGETED
EXPENDITURE ON YOUTH
f the targeted expenditure of Rs.37,000 Crores, more than
of the funds are allocated towards education through
120 EXPENDITURE IN FY12 (RS '000 CR)
Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD)
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE).
90
expenditure is primarily through grants to various
ernment schools and universities and direct cash benefits 37

tudents in the form of scholarships and fellowships for 60

h secondary and higher education. Further, there are 92

grammes targeting youth in the areas of skill development,
30 55
loyment, health and engagement.

0
f the non-targeted spend, food subsidies, employment
Total Targeted expenditure Non-targeted exp
grammes like MGNREGA, health programmes related
2,710 1,100 1,610
infrastructure development, disease control and family
fare constitute a significant share. Other Ministries with PER CAPITA EXPENDITURE (RS PER YOUTH)

mes providing direct benefit to youth through some of

EXPENDITURE ON YOUTH SPLIT BY TARGETED VS APPORTIONED EXPE
r schemes are Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation,
istry of Finance, Ministry of Labour and Employment
E), Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) and Ministry of Rural
elopment (MoRD). Over 80% of expenditure accounted by Key departments with
• Education (secondary and higher) general schemes:
• Food subsidies
totals a per capita spending on youth of about Rs 2,710 • Food & Public Distribut
• Employment programs
hich Rs 1,100 is targeted spending as shown in Exhibit E.4. • Rural Development
• Health and Family Welfare
• Agricultural Co-operati

Most targeted spend done on education

through MoHRD (various programs) and
MoSJE (scholarships)

Note: Ministry of Fertilizers not considered in analysis (Fertilizer subsidies for farm
 STATE GOVERNMENTS ALSO INVEST IN YOUTH
OUGH A WIDE RANGE OF PROGRAMMES.
of the targeted expenditure on youth is on education,
lth and youth services. The State Governments incur
stantial expenditure on these heads, over and above
expenditure being incurred by the Government of
a. Thus, the aggregate expenditure on youth (Central
State Governments combined) would be much higher.
NON-GOVERNMENTAL STAKEHOLDERS ARE
ALL AND FRAGMENTED.
addition to the government, there are a range
stakeholders working on youth related issues.
include civil society organisations, corporates and
stry associations. These stakeholders have two
ctives; the first is to promote youth development
ugh programmes on education, skill development,
lth care, sports etc. The second is to facilitate youth
icipation and engagement on issues such as community
elopment, politics, governance etc.
WHILE THERE ARE MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDERS
RKING ON YOUTH RELATED ISSUES, THE SIZE OF
SE ORGANISATIONS IS OFTEN SMALL.
hermore, they are fragmented with respect to the issues
address, the regions they operate in and the youth
ents they target. Stakeholders often work with little
rdination and no overarching objective or framework.
2.5 FRAMEWORK FOR COORDINATED ACTI
YOUTH ISSUES NEEDED.
A key challenge is that there has been no sy
assessment to understand the current status of th
segment, the challenges they face and the inter-
between these areas. Furthermore, there has
concerted effort to identify the range of stak
working on youth development, analyse the impact
activities and determine how these stakeholders
aligned & leveraged to more effectively support th
2.6 A HOLISTIC ASSESSMENT OF THE CHAL
FACING THE YOUTH IS REQUIRED.
A stakeholder mapping exercise must be undert
determine the number of stakeholders, the scope
activities and the impact they have on youth devel
and engagement. Finally, an overarching framewo
to be developed in order to align stakeholders
provide guidance on key issues.
 VISION, OBJECTI
AND PRIORITY AR
OF NYP-2014

The National Youth Policy (NYP-2014) aims at p

an overview of the state of the youth aged 15-
in India. It highlights key issues and challeng
by the youth and elaborates on how all stak
can support the youth to ensure that they co
positively to the development of the society,
in the future.

Vision
NYP-2014 provides a holistic Vision for the y
India which is:

“To empower youth of the coun

achieve their full potential, and th
them enable India to find its rightfu
in the community of nations”.

jectives
ieving this Vision requires the Government and
stakeholders to work towards five clearly defined
ctives which are as follows:
ATE A PRODUCTIVE WORKFORCE THAT CAN
KE A SUSTAINABLE CONTRIBUTION TO INDIA’S
NOMIC DEVELOPMENT
rder to create a productive youth workforce, it is
ntial that the youth of the country have access to the
t set of tools and opportunities to make a sustainable
tribution. The youth must have equitable access
igh quality education and be able to develop the
essary skills that are required by the labour market
nsure that they are gainfully employed. Given that
rge proportion of the workforce is self-employed,
epreneurship must be encouraged amongst the
th and they must be supported through the process
ea generation, incubation and financing.
DEVELOP A STRONG AND HEALTHY GENER
EQUIPPED TO TAKE ON FUTURE CHALLENG
In order to create a generation of young
equipped to take on future challenges and
their full potential, it is necessary that the yout
good health and make healthy and balanced
choices. Youth specific health issues must be ad
through targeted programmes. Balanced nutrit
healthy lifestyle information must be provide
youth. Youth must also be encouraged to en
sports and recreation in order to ensure their
well-being.
INSTIL SOCIAL VALUES AND PROMOTE
COMMUNITY SERVICE TO STRENGTHEN
NATIONALISM IN THE COUNTRY
It is important to build national pride and own
the youth through a programme of education
values including respect for diversity and the imp
of harmony. Youth must be encouraged to par
in community service and development a
especially in the most backward regions. The y
India must have a strong sense of moral respo
towards their fellow citizens, especially those
less fortunate than themselves. Youth of the
must be encouraged to fulfil their duties as citiz
thus create an environment in which all citize
the rights guaranteed in our Constitution.
ILITATE PARTICIPATION AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNANCE
ernance requires an active citizenry, and given that the
th in the age group of 15-29 years comprise 27.5% of the
ulation, it is essential to create mechanisms for youth
icipation in politics and governance. Youth are the future
he nation and must be encouraged to participate in politics
cal and national levels. They must be provided the necessary
ning and tools to become effective policy makers and to be
to execute government’s schemes and programmes.
PORT YOUTH AT RISK AND CREATE EQUITABLE
ORTUNITY FOR ALL DISADVANTAGED AND
RGINALISED YOUTH
ew segments of the youth population require special
ntion. These include economically backward youth,
en, youth with disabilities, youth living in conflict
cted regions including left wing extremism, and youth at
due to substance abuse, human trafficking or hazardous
king conditions. It is essential that government policies are
usive and provide equitable opportunities to all. It is also
ortant to ensure these youth do not suffer from stigma or
rimination, and have equitable access to justice to ensure a
ified life to all segments amongst the youth.
Priority Areas
Achieving each of these five objectives requires action in
key priority areas. The following table lists the 11 key priori
where action is required to meet the five stated objectives
EXHIBIT E.5: OBJECTIVES AND PRIORITY AREAS OF N
OBJECTIVES PRIORITY AREAS
1. Create a productive workforce that can 1. Education
make a sustainable contribution to
2. Employment and Skill developm
India’s economic development
3. Entrepreneurship
2. Develop a strong and healthy generation 4. Health and healthy lifestyle
equipped to take on future challenges
5. Sports
3. Instil social values and promote 6. Promotion of social values
community service to build national
7. Community engagement
ownership
4. Facilitate participation and civic 8. Participation in politics and gov
engagement at levels of governance
9. Youth engagement
5. Suppor t youth at risk and create equitable 10. Inclusion
opportunity for all disadvantaged and
11. Social justice
marginalised youth
CURRENT POLICIES
FUTURE IMPERATIVE

4.1 Priority Area 1: Educa

4.1.1 CURRENT STATUS:

In order to create a productive
workforce that contributes to e
development, the youth must be e
and equipped with the necessary
to forge sustainable livelihoods. Th
are not a homogeneous group an
education needs vary. For example, t
of-school (OoS) and school drop-outs
be addressed by one set of policies sin
that wish to but cannot enrol in sc
different from drop-outs that are lo
join the labour market. Therefore, d
segments of the youth need tailor
targeted policies.
 However, challenges to youth education remain. The 1
itionally, there are cross-cutting youth groups like
identifies strategic shifts in education policy that will
bled youth, women, minorities etc. that need special
youth development. These include an increased focus
cies that will enable them to equitably access and benefit
upward transition of students from elementary to se
the education system. Recognising the importance of
education where there is a significant bottleneck,
cation for youth and the heterogeneity of youth, a lot of
a system that supports lifelong learning, vocatio
hasis has been placed by the government on reforming
education and promoting skill development.
education system and devising appropriate policies for
various youth segments.

4.1.2 FUTURE IMPERATIVES

has implemented several policies aimed at universalising
Going forward, two key priorities to promote youth ed
ss, creating equity and improving quality of education.
must be (i) to build capacity and quality in the system
mes are aimed at promoting inclusive education, expanding
to promote skill development and lifelong learning.
capacity of technical and higher education, enhancing
acy and basic education, building a cadre of trained teachers
Build capacity and quality in the system:
. There has also been significant focus on curriculum
The 12th Plan priorities for secondary and higher ed
rm, regulation and improving quality of higher education
can be summarised as (a) increasing access, (b) e
nsure that the graduates from the system are employable.
equity, (c) improving the quality of inputs and outco
Department of Higher Education has conceptualised a new
(d) promoting greater governance and accountability.
me, namely, Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA)
ch seeks to address the issues of quality, access and inclusion
• Capacity improvements must be made in both se
ugh a Mission Mode scheme for the higher education sector.
and higher education to support increased access and
her, educational loans are being provided from the Banking
These include physical infrastructure improvements, ex
em to meritorious students for pursing higher education.
reach to regions with lower education enrolme
istry of Human Resource Development also provides interest
outcomes as well as enhanced teacher selection and recr
sidy on educational loans to students from economically
programmes. The Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha
ker sections.
(RMSA) is being developed into an umbrella pro
for secondary education, subsuming smaller sc
ddition to the government, civil society organisations and
A monitoring and evaluation system must be built into
private sector have been directly delivering education,
ensure that the objectives of existing schemes are not
viding financial support to students, evaluating government
or lost and that youth from disadvantaged groups and
cies and promoting accountability in the system.
are effectively mainstreamed. Similarly, expansion of
se concerted efforts of the government, civil society and
in existing higher education institutions must be m
private sector have seen positive benefits, including rising
 number of quality improvement programmes have
n implemented to improve student outcomes.
se include the teacher training programme and
ification, curriculum improvements, revised
ent assessment norms, and accreditation of schools
colleges. It is essential to review the success of
ting quality improvement programmes, to revise
tegies that have proved ineffective and to scale-
uccessful programmes.
is important to clearly define the role of government
-vis private sector in the delivery of education.
PPP models can be explored and appropriate
lation systems, accreditation procedures, policies
incentives must be developed to enable private
cation providers to take on the challenge of
anding and improving secondary education.
echanisms for financing both secondary and higher
cation must be developed. Several options are
ilable such as universalising free education or free
cation for certain students, with resources raised by
ernment through taxation. Other options include
ct demand side financing through subsidies and
d-based scholarships to students or low-cost
cation loans. Pilot projects must be undertaken and
luated in order to determine the most appropriate
hanisms for financing education.
Promote skill development and lifelong le
This is essential in order to ensure that the ed
system produces qualified individuals who are
build on their skills as per their own development
• A critical mechanism to promote skill devel
and lifelong learning is to build inter-linkages
systems such as formal education, vocational t
skilling programmes, literacy and basic ed
programmes. It is important to develop a stan
qualifications frameworks like the Nation
Qualification Framework (NSQF) and t
translate qualifications between different ed
and skilling programmes. This also requires i
student certification and accreditation mec
that verify institutions. This will enable indivi
transition between learning systems, buildi
and acquiring qualifications most suitable
own development and employer needs.
• There are several plans for increasing the fl
of the education system and introducing new
education offerings such as community college
vocational training credits that can be transf
higher education institutions etc. However,
no overarching policy or coordinating frame
govern education for youth aged 15-24 years. T
be developed in order to ensure that the o
are clearly defined and should emphasise gov
accountability and transparency of the system
 2013, the NCSD, the NSDCB, and the Office of the
to Prime Minister on Skill Development have n

Priority Area 2: Employment and subsumed in NSDA. NSDA is an autonomous bod

ll Development will coordinate and harmonize the skill devel

efforts of the Government and the private s

1 CURRENT STATUS: achieve the skilling targets of the 12th Plan and

th must develop skills that are relevant to and endeavour to bridge the social, regional,

loyment needs, in order to ensure employability and and economic divide in skilling.

revent labour demand-supply mismatches. This can

chieved by measures such as quality improvements in Ministry of Labour and Employment has t

al education, vocational education, specialised skills number of initiatives in the field of skill devel

ning and by ensuring sufficient income-generation and employment. For instance, training of

ortunities commensurate to their skills. Also, the is being conducted by Advanced Training I

ional Occupation Standards need to be defined and and Regional Vocational Training Institutes

training and skill development programmes need the Ministry. The Ministry has also set up a s

e aligned to such standards. In order to promote system of assessment and certification of vo

loyment of youth, GoI has taken a two-pronged training and industries are being involved in cur

roach, namely, (i) enabling skill development and design. The National Employment Service run

implementing direct employment programmes for network of employment exchanges is being mo

er skilled individuals. and being converted into National Career Ser

the apprenticeship regime is also being signi

Government of India has adopted skill development improved. In addition, the Ministry is also brin

national priority. In order to create an institutional a National Employment Policy.

for skill development in India at the national level,

ree-tier institutional structure, consisting of the Similarly, the Ministry of Rural Development a

s National Council on Skill Development (NCSD), the a Scheme called Himayat, under which 3 mont

ional Skill Development Coordination Board (NSDCB) training is imparted to the youth in Jammu &

the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), in sectors where there is high employer d

created in early 2008. In 2009, GoI launched the followed by job placement and post-placement s

ional Skill Development Policy (NSDP) with a target The NRLM programme of MoRD also places e
on imparting necessary skills for rural self-empl

el Educational Loan Scheme for Vocational Courses,
er which loans are provided for undergoing vocational
ning courses.
has also instituted direct employment schemes in rural
s where there are limited opportunities for youth.
NREGA, a flagship scheme of Government of India,
vides 100 days of guaranteed employment to all rural
seholds willing to work on labour-intensive projects.
ey challenge is to enable training of low skilled
viduals and to incentivise employers to recruit in EBRs,
affected regions, J&K and North East.
2 FUTURE IMPERATIVES
12th Plan lists future priorities for strengthening the
development system. These include promoting PPPs,
lementing the National Skills Qualifications Framework
F), strengthening the institutional structure,
easing regional equity and access and improving the
renticeship programme. There are three critical areas
need to be prioritised, which are (a) ensuring youth
benefit from skill development opportunities, (b)
rly defining stakeholder roles, and (c) building inter-
ages between systems and stakeholders.
a) Targeted youth outreach & awareness
programmes:
NSDP’s youth and user-centric approach m
embedded in all activities that fall under the aegi
development.
• Targeted information must be made availabl
youth about the various skill development and
options available to them. Information on the
of institutions, for example, post-programme pl
scorecards, curriculum benchmarking etc. is requi
youth need guidance on the benefits of skill devel
training. Youth must have access to data on th
programme employment options8 . Youth must b
aware of the different financial support packages a
such as low-cost loans, post-programme empl
linked payment options etc.
• It is important to identify the most app
engagement mechanisms for information provisio
youth. The effectiveness of the youth outreach prog
must be monitored, and strategies should be ada
required, in order to ensure sustained benefits.
 c) Define role of government vis-a-vis other
Build linkages across systems and stakeholders:
stakeholders:
n the integration of skill development with the
Given the scale of the skill development and empl
cation system as well as the job market, it is essential
needs of the youth, non-governmental stakehold
uild linkages across systems and stakeholders.
be brought into the purview of all policies. Cle
must be defined for all stakeholders, in order to
Linkages must be developed between training
that the identified gaps are being closed.
itutions and employers. Employers must provide inputs
the training curriculum in order to ensure relevance
• With respect to financing, there is no doubt t
outh skills to labour market needs. Similarly, training
skill development eco-system needs financing
itutions must tie-up with employers to create post-
from the government as well as the private sec
gramme placement opportunities for students.
government should directly fund institutions or s
and should also create an enabling environm
Linkages must be developed between the education
private financing and the development of in
em and skills institutes to enable OoS individuals to
student credit packages.
elop job-ready skills, and return to formal education
later date should they choose. This will be possible
• On the delivery side, the government should de
implementing the NSQF and creating a system of
where its money would be most effectively spent.
ivalence to university degrees and diplomas.
include investments in capacity expansion
upgradation of Industrial Training Institutes (
nkages must be built between Sectoral Skill Councils,
investments in programmes that train the trainer,
loyers and training institutes. This will enable the
the actual delivery of skills training to the privat
tion of a dynamic & forward looking process for
ning occupational standards, setting up institutes in
While making the above interventions, there
s of employer need & placement of trained youth
to place due emphasis on special requirements
jobs.
development and employment of women. Empo
of women youth is critical aspect of the overa
empowerment. Similar attention needs to be
special needs for skill development and employ
other disadvantaged sections of the youth.
 Priority Area 3: Entrepreneurship
.1 CURRENT STATUS
moting entrepreneurship is essential in order to
ble youth to productively contribute to India’s
nomic development. About 50% of the labour force
9
urrently self-employed , and SMEs employ 70 million
ple which is approximately 15% of the labour force.
the number of skilled individuals increases through
renewed push for skill development and labour force
ticipation grows, the number of entrepreneurs is
ly to increase further.
order to create an environment in which youth
generate sustainable self-employment and
repreneurship opportunities, it is essential that they
e access to training, incubator support to develop and
cute their ideas, & the credit to finance their ventures.
GoI runs several schemes and programmes to train and
10
nce entrepreneurs . The Prime Minister’s Employment
eration Programme (PMEGP) administered by the
istry of Small and Medium Enterprises (MoSME) is one
the largest credit-linked subsidy schemes. It provides
nce towards the set-up costs of entrepreneurial
tures in the manufacturing and services sectors. The
ional Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) of the MoRD
s programmes to promote self-employment in rural
as, which has significantly enhanced availability of
ital for productive purposes in rural areas. Under the
M, a cadre of Micro-Enterprise Consultants (MECs)
through the process of idea incubation, busin
generation, credit sourcing and execution.
Rural Self-employment Training Institutes (RSE
playing an important role by providing training
employment.
These GoI schemes have been set up to cover the
needs of aspirant entrepreneurs and are impor
the growth of entrepreneurship in India. They ha
successful at delivering better access to credit, pr
basic tools for entrepreneurship to a broader seg
the population and building private sector involve
entrepreneurship creation and promotion. Furth
as demonstrated by the MEC programme of
the design of these schemes is evolving to res
entrepreneurs’ needs for end-to-end support
than simply providing low-cost credit or sh
entrepreneurship training. However, an examin
existing schemes reveals that there are a few area
they can be strengthened to deliver greater imp
4.3.2 FUTURE IMPERATIVES
There are four areas where on-going entrepre
programmes can be strengthened to offer
support to youth entrepreneurs. These
outreach & information provision, (b) scale & in
(c) programme quality and relevance, and (d) mo
Targeted youth outreach programmes:
th should have information on the various entrepreneurship
mes that they can participate in, so that they may make the
ect choices.
ne way to do so is to create a targeted information programme
youth about various schemes and potential benefits of each.
ast cross-country network that can be leveraged to provide
information is the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS)
nteers. They should be provided brochures and other material for
emination of information on the various schemes at the grassroots.
he PMEGP’s implementation model includes outreach through
reness camps that circulate publicity materials, the type
projects that can be undertaken, connecting potential
icipants with successful entrepreneurs that have graduated
the program and leveraging NYKS volunteers and other
sroots organizations to generate awareness on the benefits of
icipation. This must be evaluated to determine whether it is an
ctive model that can be replicated.
Scale-up effective programmes to build capacity:
scale and budgets of the GoI entrepreneurship programmes
significantly11. It is essential to build sufficient capacity in
ous entrepreneurship development and training institutes and
re that budgetary allocations to entrepreneurship financing
mes are sufficient to meet likely demand.
Existing schemes must be reviewed not only to determine
itional capacity needed but also to understand the geographic
demographic reach of the schemes. GoI can work with state
ernments, civil society and private players to expand schemes
to areas where there is little or no access currently, in
ensure that youth especially those marginalized due t
economic factors, disability, gender or other reasons c
participate in these schemes.
• Various apprenticeship models must be explored to und
how aspirant youth can be supported by successful entrep
and can develop the necessary skills, experience and cont
the job’. Lessons can be learnt from the experience of c
such as Germany, that have been highly successful in this
c) Create customised programmes for youth entrepr
On-going entrepreneurship training schemes can be r
and strengthened. There is also a need to assess the qua
relevance to youth of training delivered.
• Entrepreneurs are a non-homogenous group with res
their demographic profile, skills, experience and busines
The need for a review of curriculum and possible custo
or development of youth specific training modules i
out by a MoRD study which shows that while the aver
of participants in RSETI training is 22, the average age
generation micro-entrepreneurs is 40 years and that older
are settled faster into self-employment.
• Specialised post-programme support for business p
and execution can be introduced for youth participants
the confidence, finances and contacts to become entrep
in order to enable them to set up businesses successfu
could be institutionalised under NRLM and other prog
for self-employment.
 4.4
Implement widespread monitoring and
luation systems: It is essential that schemes
e strong monitoring, data collection and
luation mechanisms in order to ensure that they
achieving their targets and serving the interests
he cross-section of the population aspiring to
ome entrepreneurs.
The MSME ‘Scheme of Surveys, Studies and
cy Research’ model can be reviewed and, if
ven successful, adopted by other Ministries,
ing on appropriate support from the Planning
mission’s Programme Evaluation Organisation
) and Independent Evaluation Office (IEO).
Priority Area 4: Health and Healthy Lif
4.4.1 CURRENT STATUS:
Health is essential to social security and all ind
must have access to affordable healthcare f
Inadequate health resources and high out-of
expenditure due to ill health are problems
faced by all segments of the population, i
the youth; and must be resolved. Addi
there are a few youth-specific health iss
require a targeted approach. These incl
promoting a healthy lifestyle among y
combat non-communicable diseases attri
to lifestyle disorders like obesity, cardio-
diseases, diabetes, stroke, chronic lung
cancer, etc. which have been increasingly a
young adults, (b) creating awareness abou
planning, birth control, STDs, HIV/AI
substance abuse, especially in rural areas
addressing issues concerning emotional and
health (e.g. risk of depression and potential
attempts), esp. in case of adolescent youth.
 • Access to medical training and educat
n the need to significantly improve the health care
increased with the setting up of 6 AIIMS-like i
em, funding to the Ministry of Health and Family
and upgradation of 13 medical colleges under
fare (MoHFW) has trebled under the 12th Five Year
Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) sch
. The 12th Plan seeks to extend the outreach of public
State Government medical colleges have als
lth services for moving towards the goal of Universal
strengthened.
lth Coverage (UHC) through National Health Mission.
his context, various initiatives have been taken by
Despite these and other programmes undert
FW, Ministry of Women and Child Development
MoHFW, there are disparities in attainment
WCD), private sector groups and NGOs.
various health indicators and several unmet
Improvements in the delivery systems are req
achievements include:
all levels.

e Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) has improved during

11th Five Year Plan, primarily due to the success of
4.4.2 FUTURE IMPERATIVES
mes like Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), Accredited
a) Improved service delivery: In order to
al Health Activists (ASHAs) and Reproductive and
the goal of providing UHC, it is imperative to fi
d Health Programme with support from National Rural
basic healthcare facilities in place.
lth Mission (NRHM) in rural areas.

• Adequate healthcare access must be crea

dia has achieved major success in terms of elimination
individuals across the country, especially p
olio.
and lactating mothers. This requires a revie
efficiency of primary health care (PHC) facili
isease control measures have led to a reduction in the
course correction mechanisms to be imple
dence of HIV/AIDS infections in the country by 57%.
where existing strategies are proven to be ine

he National TB Control Programme has been able to

• It is essential to create a large trained
ieve its targets of a 70% case detection rate and 85%
doctors, nurses and health workers through ex
tment success rate.
of medical colleges and training institutes. Th
be incentivised to serve in remote areas, in
egarding non-communicable diseases, screening for
promote equity in the system. Anganwadi
etes and Hypertension has been initiated under the
need to be developed as hub in rural areas to
ional Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer,
ve participation of the private sector in setting up
ning centres, colleges and research institutes can
vide support to the over-burdened government
urces and machinery.
There is a need to pay special attention to health
es concerning women youth. This would entail
ter pre-natal and post-natal care for women in
erable age group of 14-18 years, need to bring
n maternal and infant mortality rates, campaign
inst female feticide to improve child sex ratio, etc.
argeted awareness programmes for youth:
rt from increasing access to health care facilities,
eted awareness programmes on specific health
es must be implemented. The youth must be
cated about nutrition choices and leading a healthy
tyle. The youth must be made aware of the benefits
reventive healthcare.
re is also need to create awareness among the youth
ut ill-effects of drug/ substance abuse. Inclusion of
lth and nutrition in the curriculum of schools and
eges will help further this goal.
In this regard, the existing hospitals, PHC f
anganwadi centres and NGOs can also co
significantly through their extensive reach
and inaccessible areas. In creating such aw
progressive adolescents (as under the Saksham
and youth volunteers under NSS and NYKS can
very effective role.
c) Targeted disease control programmes
for youth:
Youth are at risk of contracting HIV/ AIDS and T
lack of information and poor access to preventi
This can be addressed by developing robust a
and treatment programs especially in rura
The NRHM, NACP and on-going NGO prog
can be leveraged to expand disease detection,
and awareness programmes. Enhanced capa
detection and treatment of communicable
must be developed, especially for pregnant
and other high risk groups.

Priority Area 5: Sports
1 CURRENT STATUS
rts and recreational activities form an essential
ponent of the growth and development of a
ng individual. Sports activities promote physical,
tal and emotional growth. They help support a
lthy lifestyle and ensure the youth are engaged
productive. Participation in sports can inculcate
spirit of competitiveness and teamwork which
s in the holistic development of the youth. Sports
creasingly being considered a viable professional
ion. Representing the country in international
rting events fosters national pride and helps
lcate a feeling of national unity and belonging
ngst the youth.
role of sports, including adventure sports, in
development of youth has been recognised and
ressed not only by the government but also by
ous stakeholders like sports federations, private
sector companies and NGOs. These organisation
focus on promoting a sporting culture and pr
access to sports infrastructure, coaching and tra
youth. Some significant initiatives are:
• Broad basing of sports: The government is
towards broad basing sports by providing a
sports facilities and coaching in both urban a
areas. This is done through programmes like Pa
Yuva Krida aur Khel Abhiyan (PYKKA) [being r
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan (RGKA)], National
Fields Association of India (NPFAI) and the
for creation of urban infrastructure at variou
The RTE Act also mandates access to playgrou
recreational facilities in all schools. Organ
like Sports Authority of India (SAI), nationa
federations and state level organizations a
working towards provision of coaching f
organizing competitions, selecting talented sp
and supporting their development. National I
of Sports (NIS) and Lakshmibai National Insti
Physical Education (LNIPE) provide academic co
graduate and post graduate levels in the area o
Promoting excellence in sports: Investment
ports infrastructure and coaching facilities has
roved the representation of Indian sports persons
nternational competitions. Centres of Excellence
E), Special Area Games (SAG) and SAI Training
tre (STC) provide training facilities and a platform
romising young sports persons to participate in
ous local, national and international competitions.
ddition, both the Central and State Governments
vide incentives and awards to sports persons who
l at various levels.
2 FUTURE IMPERATIVES
pite the efforts of various stakeholders to support
development of sports in the nation, significant
gress must be made to reach the levels of
icipation and excellence of countries like China.
Increasing access to sports facilities and
ning: Access to sport and physical education
ortunities still remains highly inadequate,
cially in rural areas and the poorer parts of urban
s. Schemes like PYKKA (being recast as RGKA) and
AI that are targeted towards development and
ntenance of infrastructure for sports need to be
ngthened further with support from MoRD and
istry of Urban Development (MUD). Private sector
anizations need to be incentivised to participate
vely in setting up playgrounds and sports facilities
cially in schools, colleges and community areas.
b) Promotion of sports culture among
Current participation levels in sports activi
very low in India as compared to countr
China. A sports culture needs to be promote
youth. The youth must be enabled to consid
not just as recreational activity but also as p
career option. This would require a great
on sports activities as a part of the curric
school and college levels. State Gover
educational boards and the National Cade
(NCC) programme must be leveraged and
integration of sports into formal ed
system can be achieved by strengthening
infrastructure.
c) Support and development for talente
sportspersons:
A seamless channel for talent identif
coaching, participation in competitions and i
provision needs to be developed to
excellence in sports. A significant proportio
youth, and hence the sporting talent of the
is in the rural areas. Therefore, it is imper
develop robust models to identify and tra
potential sportspersons in rural areas. Coor
and collaboration between SAI, various
federations, state level organizations an
associations is required in order to achieve t
 Priority Area 6: Promotion of Social Values

1 CURRENT STATUS
• Youth must also be encouraged to dev
th are the future of the nation, and in the years
appreciation of the traditional arts and
come will become the leaders of the nation.
of the country. The rich and invaluable
ce, it is essential that the youth uphold social
art and culture will not survive with
es and moral standards of highest order.
active involvement of the youth in its a
promotion and preservation.
dia is a diverse nation with respect to ethnicity,
ion, language, caste and culture. Alongside this
rsity resides socio-economic disparity and
Values education is not the sole respo
emism, which together have potential for creating
of the government and the education
vide in the society. Hence, it is imperative to instil
It starts at home with the family and
nse of harmony and togetherness in individuals
playing an equally important role. Values
a young age.
imparted in an individual through both cl
education and engagement in various a
t is also important to develop inner values like
aimed at improvement of the society.
passion, kindness, sympathy and empathy.
Some significant initiatives are:
re is also a serious need to inculcate the spirit of
grity and truthfulness in the youth. They must be
• The role of education in fostering val
ouraged to strive for excellence in all spheres of
continually been emphasised in education
vidual and collective activity.
Most recently, the National Curriculum Fra
and the Framework on Values in Schools ha
ith increasing industrialization and pollution,
introduced by NCERT. The idea of impartin
sitizing youth about protection and improvement
education is closely linked with education
the environment and developing compassion

framework articulates a holistic and pragmatic
roach to values education in schools. It is suggestive,
prescriptive, leaving room for customisation suited
aried needs, contexts and resources of the schools.
RT has been made the nodal centre for strengthening
e education at all levels in the school system.
ganizations like National Service Scheme (NSS), NYKS and
NCC are involved in the engagement of youth in various
atives like rural development, environment protection,
d donation, immunisation, disaster management etc.
se have the potential to foster national and social values
ng the youth and develop a sense of responsibility
ards the nation.
ere are various other Government schemes / programmes
work towards promotion of social values. The Centre
Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT) under Ministry
ulture administers a Scheme under which youth are
n to heritage monuments/ sites, museums, etc. – a
ificant initiative to make the youth aware of the rich
tage of the country. The Saksham Scheme (for holistic
elopment for adolescent boys in age-group 11-18
rs), inter-alia, aims at inculcating in them respect for
en, and engaging them in nation-building activities.
ilarly, the ‘Ahimsa Messenger’ programme of Ministry of
en and Child Development seeks to promote respect
women and eliminating violence against women.
4.6.2 FUTURE IMPERATIVES
Significant steps need to be taken in order to add
issue of promotion of social values and harmony
the youth of the nation.
a) Moving towards formalising values educat
The Framework on Values in Schools outlines
guidelines for schools related to provision o
education and holistic development of students. H
there is a need to have a formal system for impartin
at all levels of school and college, making it an
component of an individual’s performance eva
There is a need for greater emphasis on civics,
and code in the formal education curriculum.
b) Strengthening engagement progra
youth: Organizations such as NSS, NYKS a
have been very successful in instilling a s
belongingness, brotherhood and harmony amon
These organizaations need to be strengthen
expanded in their reach with increased focus on i
national values among the youth.
c) Supporting non-government organi
working towards spreading values and harm
It is not possible for the government and educatio
to completely address all issues related to values ed
Social groups and society at large have a signific
in imparting and promoting social values and h
among youth. Every individual must act to
and promote the work done by these organi

Priority Area 7: Community Engagement
1 CURRENT STATUS
th represent a large segment of the population that
be mobilised for community service and development
grammes. On one hand, by participating in community
ice schemes, youth can contribute to grassroots
elopment efforts and help create progress in backward
ons. At the same time, these initiatives help the youth
d their own skills, such as communication, leadership,
r-personal relationships and develop a sense of moral
onsibility and national ownership.
AS currently runs several schemes to enable youth
ngage with their community, as well as to participate
grassroots development. Some of these schemes
NYKS, NYPAD and the NSS. These schemes target
ing youth segments, and have different models of
icipation. In addition to MoYAS schemes, there are
nge of other government schemes like the Bharat
an Volunteers (BNV) programme of Ministry of
al Development. BNVs are dedicated volunteers
king in rural areas for generating awareness
ng the people about their rights and entitlements.
ilarly, the positions of community workers created
er NRLM provide opportunity to such workers to
intensely involved in the development programmes,
des being avenues of substantial income to them.
There are also several community-based youth organ
in various parts of the country (including the North
Region) that work towards community devel
NGOs, non-profit organisations, corporates throu
CSR programmes and social entrepreneurs are e
across the country on issues ranging from clean fuel
prevention of trafficking and rehabilitation. Several
organisations have youth volunteers and youth emp
There is a need to institutionalise community enga
and to design and streamline schemes such that th
to the non-homogenous youth population.
4.7.2 FUTURE IMPERATIVES
a) Promote and leverage existing community
development organisations (CDOs):
While the government should continue to implem
schemes that have seen great success, going for
should also leverage the large number of organ
that are already working towards community devel
This will multiply the scope of youth community enga
in the nation, and has significant potential to g
positive outcomes at the grassroots level.
• A framework for accreditation and certification
or CDOs should be developed. This will enable
agencies and youth volunteers to select the most app
organisations based on their needs. It can prom
scaling up of organisations that have clearly defin
volunteer exchange platform should be set up. Through this
form, the young Indians that are willing to participate
community development programmes can be identified.
ilarly, organisations working in the field that require young
nteers or employees can post their requirements. This will
ble the matching of volunteers with organisations in an
cient manner.
nstitutionalise the involvement of youth in disaster response
vities. Local youth, because of their dynamism and proximity,
invariably the first responders in any disaster relief and
ue activity. Such team activity in the face of adversity not
builds camaraderie and leadership but also provides a much-
ded succour to the affected individuals. There is a need to
te structures that tap this latent resource and realize its full
ential through proper training, equipping and coordinating
r efforts with those of the state disaster relief mechanism.
ry State and district of the country has Disaster Management
hority as mandated by Disaster Management Act, 2005. The
l Defence Act, 1968 has also been amended to bring ‘disaster
agement’ within its scope. In addition, the panchayats also
e a major role under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
youth can be closely involved in disaster response activities
ugh these mechanisms.
Similarly, the latent potential and dynamism of youth
uld also be harnessed in promoting communal harmony and
ironmental protection.
The energies of the youth should also be channelized in
structive areas through Panchayati Raj Institutions, which
increasingly playing greater role in local self-governance.
would include campaigning on various social issues and helping
b) Promote social entrepreneurship:
There are a growing number of social entrepreneurs
who recognise that they can create sustainable gr
development, while making a return for themselves. Th
entrepreneurship space is fragmented and largely unre
and the government should create an enabling environ
social entrepreneurs.
• Promoting social entrepreneurship as an attractive emp
proposition for young Indians will create a positive shi
from volunteerism and philanthropy to sustainable devel
This can transform community development and enga
from a short-term prospect for the youth into a sus
career option.
• Social entrepreneurs require support in the form
funding and angel investment. The government can
an enabling policy regime that supports the creation
funds. It can enable identification of credible enterpri
financiers through an endorsement process. It can also
the performance of social entrepreneurs through gr
aid and award programmes. These rewards can create
mobilisation of youth towards social enterprise.
• The government is well positioned to create cha
communication between social entrepreneurs, local com
investors and policymakers. Social enterprise forums
convened that enable the exchange of information
successful models, navigating the complex policy envir
and can generate forward and backward linkages b
enterprises. Removing barriers to business on a priori
for organisations with a social objective can also spa
development of more social enterprises.
 MoPR runs Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Sashaktikaran
(RGPSA) under which the focus is on building the capa
Priority Avrea 8: Participation in all elected representatives of the Panchayati Raj Insti
litics and Governance including the youth and first-time elected represent

MoRD has also taken steps to build youth participatio

1 CURRENT STATUS governance and monitoring of Central schemes. You

n the youth comprise 27.5% of the population, it been co-opted to support fund utilisation and pro

itical that youth are represented & can participate implementation in the IAP districts of the country

olitics at all levels. Youth participation and Prime Minister’s Rural Development Fellowship (

agement on issues related to politics, democracy, The Election Commission runs outreach program

untability and governance will help create an get young voters to register and vote in elections,

generation of future leaders of the country. supporting and promoting youth participation in
and democracy.

he number of government schemes and direct

-outs to beneficiaries increase, it is important to Despite a growing focus on youth participation in low

re that the citizenry is active and engaged in of governance, and a clear political push to help mor

er to prevent leakages. In the 12th Plan period, the people transition from student and youth politics to

ds to PRIs has increased 10-fold over the 11th Plan politics; there is very little coordinated action to

od from Rs 636 crores to Rs 6,437 crores, further youth engagement in politics and governance. Furth

ssing the importance of social mobilisation at existing programmes such as those run by MoPR are

grassroots. An engaged citizenry will help build on youth who are already elected leaders or in so

untability and ensure better governance, and associated with politics, rather than on bringing mor

also facilitate the implementation of schemes. into political systems.

youth can be leveraged as a resource to monitor

implementation and promote accountability of Civil society groups are working hard, often

fare schemes and development projects across partnerships with government, to bridge thes

country. However, without a coordinated push and clear yout

these programmes are unlikely to be sufficient to he
 • It is important to build awareness on the importance of
2 FUTURE IMPERATIVES
citizenry. Education curriculums must be revised such t
ngage youth that are outside the political system:
civics component is made more relevant. Youth must b
important to ensure that youth participate in politics at all
aware of the various channels available to them to enga
ls, from the grassroots to the national stage.
and question government agencies.

here are several pull and push factors that govern youth
• Youth monitoring and accountability creation in the
ticipation in politics. A detailed analysis of these is required
government expenditure and social welfare schemes
rder to create effective policies and programmes to enable
institutionalised. Public expenditure records must be ma
th participation in politics. Youth perceptions of politics must
transparent and accessible for all segments of the pop
nderstood in order to create effective strategies to combat
The 12th Plan details out the role of social mobilis
negative perceptions. Politics must be made attractive
highlights the importance of citizen participation in p
ppropriate reward systems must be created to incentivise
and implementation of centrally sponsored schemes (CSS
th to enter politics. Barriers to entry, such as financial
a provision for dedicated funds allocated to all flagship
urces for campaign activities, must be lowered. Improved
to promote citizen participation in governance, and
nnels of transition from student politics to national politics
must be taken to implement this. Social audit processes
t be developed.
institutionalised to enable youth to provide structured in
the effectiveness of government expenditure.
t is important to note that youth political participation is not
ted to young individuals contesting elections. It also includes
The youth should be involved in Gram Sabha / Mahil
ilising the youth to vote and promote the effective functioning
meetings, for monitoring the implementing of progra
emocratic systems and processes. A more consistent effort is
village level. On-going monitoring & informal feedback c
ired to engage with young voters, understand their concerns
must also be created between the bureaucracy and the c
help them see the short-term and long-term benefits of
ng for their most preferred candidate or party.

c) Promote youth engagement in urban governan

There has been a significant focus on the functioning of
reate governance mechanisms that youth can leverage:
rural governance mechanisms that engage the citizenry. H
Right to Information (RTI) Act is a landmark legislation
a similar focus on urban governance and the role of the c
enables ordinary citizens to understand and question the
in supporting Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) is missing. Gi
kings of government.
increasing urbanisation and anonymity that characterise
life, it is all the more important for the government to a
intermediary and create channels and processes by whic
 Priority Area 9: Youth Engagement
1 CURRENT STATUS
objective of GoI engagement with the youth is
-fold. First, GoI must engage with youth in order to
vide them with information and enable holistic youth
elopment. Second, GoI must engage with youth in order
et inputs on issues, policies and specific programmes,
cially those that directly impact youth. By engaging
the youth and by ensuring youth develop leadership
other interpersonal skills, the GoI will help create
eneration of individuals that are committed to civic,
al and political progress.
, through MoYAS, runs several programmes for youth
agement with the objective of promoting holistic youth
elopment and leadership. These include the NPYAD,
ting and Guiding, adventure schemes, etc. The Rajiv
dhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD)
provides training and capacity building for members
arious youth related organisations. GoI has decided to
vert RGNIYD into an Institute of National Importance
this is currently under implementation. MoYAS is also
he process of setting up a Youth Development Fund
ch would help channelize private sector contributions
Leadership and personal development is ofte
product of other youth schemes such as NYKS,
NCC. These skills are also imparted in varying
through the education curriculum in schools and c
While there are a few programmes of varying
that support holistic development of youth, str
programmes that help the GoI engage with yo
absent. There are some unstructured interactions b
policy makers and young Indians in forums
educational institutions. However, there are no sys
channels for engagement between the governm
young citizens and no mechanisms for youth to
inputs to government. This gap has in part been
some organisations that provide analysis and com
on public policy issues.
4.9.2 FUTURE IMPERATIVES
a) Measure and monitor effectiveness o
development schemes: MoYAS is well positi
leverage its existing grassroots volunteer network
NYKS, NCC and NSS to undertake an assessment
effectiveness of GoI’s development schemes. S
efforts can be replicated to ensure that youth in all s
Create a platform for engagement with youth:
critical for the government to create a structured
form for engagement with the youth across the
ntry. There are different objectives for engagement,
therefore, different engagement models must be
ted and implemented.
Government should engage with all the youth of
nation to provide them information and do a regular
lse check”. Some ways this can be undertaken include
th forums at various levels, an interactive online
tal and wikipedia-style forums. The government
leverage partner organisations like NYKS and NSS,
s and educational institutions to connect with the
th and use technology and social media in order to
ieve this objective.
• MoYAS should identify a sub-section of yout
interacts with in a more continuous & structured
who can help support its programmes and acti
should set up a Youth Advisory Council of exc
yet representative individuals. This council can
more detailed inputs to government on key polic
run programmes to mobilise youth and enga
regularly with diverse segments of the youth.
• GoI should also enable RGNIYD as an Inst
National Importance so that it fulfils its man
serving as an apex level resource centre fo
advocacy and capacity building in youth devel
efforts in the country.

overnment should engage with a representative

s-section of youth to get inputs on specific policy
es. This can be done by conducting thematic
kshops, putting out calls for policy notes through
based channels, etc. Based on the issue, the
ernment can identify representative educational
itutions, youth groups and other partners to create
0 Priority Area 10: Inclusion
.1 CURRENT STATUS
re are a number of youth at risk and marginalised
th who require special attention in order to ensure
they can access and benefit from the government
rammes. These youth can broadly be categorised
llows:
ocially and economically disadvantaged youth,
ding but not limited to youth belonging to SC/ ST/
groups, migrant youth and women.
ut-of-school or drop-outs from the formal
cational mainstream.
outh living in conflict affected districts, especially
e affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE) and
th from Jammu & Kashmir and the North East.
uth living with disability or suffering from chronic
ases.
outh at risk, including but not limited to youth
ering from substance abuse, youth at risk of
• Youth that suffer from social or moral
including but not limited to Lesbian, Gay,
and Transgender (LGBT) youth, youth infe
affected by HIV/AIDS.
• Youth in institutional care, orphanages, corr
homes and prisons.
The categorisation reflects the shared s
that may be devised to support these youth
enablement and empowerment must be a
for the government.
A number of Ministries are working on ad
the challenges of these categories of yout
sector-specific Ministries have special prog
targeted at these groups that seek to create
inclusive and equitable society. For example
has special schemes to support girls’ educat
bridge the sizeable gender gap in enrolme
levels of schooling. Other Ministries act a
agencies responsible for the well-being of
groups, for example, MoTA deals with iss
T/OBC youth and women have a considerable number of
cies targeted at them to promote equity and inclusion.
se are in the areas of (a) education scholarships
hostels, (b) credit to support self-employment and
epreneurship, (c) rehabilitation of individuals from
ain occupations such as manual scavenging, and
reservations at different levels of governance.
se policies attempt to mainstream individuals from
e groups into the society from an early age, with
objective that successive generations will be able to
efit and move out of disadvantage and poverty.
h respect to LWE and other conflict-affected regions,
e has been an increased focus on creating infrastructure
development in such regions. GoI has also set up a
e of schemes to provide employment opportunities to
th living in conflict-affected regions in order to ensure
the youth are productively engaged. For instance,
Planning Commission has been implementing an
grated Action Plan (IAP) in 82 selected Districts (now
eased to 88) of the 9 LWE affected States since 2010-
for accelerated development of these areas. Skill
elopment has been a major area of focus under this
. Similarly, the Ministry of Home Affairs also provides
ds to Central Armed Police Forces deployed in LWE
cted areas to undertake skill development schemes
The Department of Disability Affairs under MoSJE s
individuals with disabilities through various Sche
education scholarships, support for purchasing
appliances, grants for rehabilitation and incen
employers for hiring disabled individuals, etc.
The government recognises that not only is it e
to support youth currently at risk but also to ens
youth are not faced with circumstances in the fut
put them at risk. For example, for youth currently
drugs and alcohol, the GoI takes an inter-sectoral a
of covering awareness and information dissem
counselling and rehabilitation.
Besides the above programmes targeted at
sections of disadvantaged youth or youth at ris
government programmes also maintain special f
such sections of the youth. For instance, NRLM o
seeks to give high priority to youth belonging to ca
like ST/ SC/ OBC/ Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs), m
minorities, victims of human trafficking, youth fr
Districts, North East and J&K, youth engaged in ha
occupations etc.
 c) Develop a multi-pronged approach to sup
youth with disability: While the GoI has taken

.2 FUTURE IMPERATIVES steps to support youth with disability, it is impo

create systems and infrastructure to enable thes
Enablement and capability building for to lead normal lives. The 12th Five Year Plan
dvantaged youth: set of recommendations on steps required to e

s essential that the government continues to individuals with disabilities, and all relevant M

mote equity in the formal system and focuses must develop action plans in this regard.

mainstreaming socially and economically

dvantaged youth. The GoI must review its current d) Create awareness and opportunities to

grammes for these youth and identify where youth being put at risk: While the govern

e programmes have been effective, and where working to create support and rehabilitation syst

have failed and the reasons for this. A critical youth at risk, it is essential to simultaneously build

of focus for disadvantaged youth is education to ensure that youth are not forced to put the

while the MHRD is taking steps towards ensuring into situations that constitute physical or men

cation for all, via RTE and other programmes, A targeted awareness and outreach program

nter-sectoral approach is needed to ensure that youth that are likely to be at risk must be develo

th can make the most of education programmes undertaken as a matter of priority.

being in good health and not losing out on

me generating opportunities that they perceive
ore valuable.

nsuring economic opportunities for youth in

flict-affected regions: A key factor thought to
tribute to youth participation in violent conflicts
extremism is the lack of livelihood opportunities.
ce, it is essential to ensure that these youth are
vided with livelihood opportunities. In the longer
, a programme of infrastructure development,
1 Priority Area 11: Social Justice
.1 CURRENT STATUS
important to ensure that youth of all backgrounds
free from discrimination, stigma, and disadvantage;
have recourse to a justice system that is swift and
itable. A concerted effort has been made to ensure
GoI programmes are inclusive, and that disadvantaged
ups are supported. It is important that an effort is
e to mainstream the disadvantaged groups through
rmative action and other targeted programmes.
hermore, there is need for greater monitoring
media attention to prevent illegal social practices
as dowry, child marriage, honour killings, caste-
d discrimination and stigmatisation of LGBT youth.
ce, it is important to create systems of education and
al transformation at the grassroots level to eliminate
e practices of stigmatization and discrimination, and
ver social justice for all.
4.11.2 FUTURE IMPERATIVES
a) Leveraging youth to eliminate unjust
practices:
The youth of the country can be leveraged t
awareness and provide education at the grass
order to eliminate unjust social practices. Furth
the youth can also be trained to monitor and re
the prevalence of unjust social practices at the gra
b) Strengthen access to justice at all levels:
Individuals must be given stronger access to
justice at all levels. The pace at which trials are h
be increased, in order for formal punishment to
serious deterrent. Inputs must be taken on the
constraints and bottlenecks at the grassroots le
appropriate action taken.
 MONITORI
EVALUATION
REV

Defining success of NYP-2

5.1 It is essential to monitor and

the success of NYP-2014 in order to un
the impact of the policy on the yout
determine future strategies for the y
the nation. In the short-run, NYP-201
considered successful if it documents
areas that should be the immediat
for youth development, creates g
from which stakeholders can
actionable strategies and builds ali
amongst stakeholders, providing the
concrete framework for action. In th
term, success can be defined on t
of whether the objectives of NYP-2
youth have been achieved. That is,
the youth are productive, healthy an
socially responsible, politically enga
mainstreamed. Together, these de
create a framework for measuring th
 Indicators for measuring success
nitoring and Evaluation
NYP-2014
The NYP-2014 seeks to define the Vision of the
5.5 There are two types of indicators that
ernment for the youth of the country and to identify
selected to measure the impact or success of
key areas where action is required and not enough is
leading and lagging indicators. Leading in
g done, to enable youth development. It is intended
measure short-run impact of the policy, and a
erve as a guiding document and provide a framework
likely to be process-based. They are an early s
action for all stakeholders.
whether the policy is on track to achieve its ob
Lagging indicators, on the other hand, meas
Keeping in mind the diversity of the country and
longer term impact of the policy, once it has been
need to address region-specific needs and concerns
for a sufficient length of time. These indicators
oung people that are not adequately reflected in the
whether the policy has had an impact on the o
-2014, each state should also enunciate its own State
it was intended to alter, and therefore, wheth
th Policy, keeping the overall national perspective
achieved its objectives.
out in the NYP-2014 in view.

5.6 Leading indicators of success of N

In light of the fact that many Ministries of GoI
measure whether the policy has provided a fra
e significant components of their policies and
and guidelines for stakeholders, thereby achie
grammes that are relevant to the youth, an inter-
purpose. The following four leading indicato
oral approach is imperative for dealing with youth-
been selected:
ted issues. In view of this, the NYP-2014, consistent
the suggestion made in earlier Policy documents,
a) Number of States that have created a youth
ocates the establishment of a coordinating mechanism
he Centre and state levels. The State Coordinating b) Number of times has NYP-2014 been refere

mittee may be chaired by the Chief Minister of the other Central/ State policy documents, reports an

e or a senior member of the cabinet. This will ensure c) Number of times NYP-2014 has been refere
imum utilisation of resources available with different stakeholder documents, including media, civil
istries and Departments and streamlining of policy private sector?
programme interventions. d) Number of policies/ programmes that ha
 Lagging indicators of success of NYP-2014
sure the progress towards achieving each one
he 5 objectives for youth set out in the policy.
following 8 lagging indicators have been selected
the corresponding objectives/ priority areas:
IBIT E.6: LAGGING INDICATORS FOR NYP 2014
5.8 A baseline assessment must be und
and annual targets must be set for each
the indicators. In the event these are not
investigation into the reasons for this must
and appropriate course correction actions
initiated. These indicators may also be combi
a comprehensive Youth Development Index.

Youth Unemployment Rate Completion Rate of Biennial “Status of the Youth” Re

reate a productive
orkforce Higher Education
5.9 NYP-2014 recommends that MoYAS
a Status of the Youth Report every 2 ye
report should provide comprehensive info
evelop a strong & Maternal Matality Rate Gold medals per capita on all youth related schemes and program
ealthy generation won at Commonwealth implemented by various Ministries. The
Games should identify progress against targets
leading and lagging indicators of success
2014. This report should also synthesise the vi
Instill social values
and promote Number of delinquent youth (IPC & SLL1) priorities identified through bottom-up enga
community service with the youth. Finally, the report will docu
previously unidentified challenges facing th
and recommend the way forward in these ar

romote Number of elected PRI Youth voter turnout

articipation and members below age 35
ivic engagement
Review of NYP-2014
5.10 NYP-2014 will be reviewed every 5
nsure inclusion Unemployment rate across different social groups order to enable GoI to take stock of key achie
nd social justice and challenges, and refocus the priorities fo
 RECOMMENDATI
ON THE WAY FORW

Given that youth comprise 27.5%

population and will play a crucial rol
progress and development of the
supporting and enabling the youth
made a priority. This document de
priority areas and highlights specif
where action is required in order to hel
overcome the challenges they face and
reap the benefits of its demographic d

It is important to identify the most app

set of interventions for youth devel
and invest in the ones that will h
maximum impact in each of these
areas. This requires a review of
government programmes for the yo
analysis of the impact of stakeholder
and pilot projects before mass roll-out
programmes for the youth. Furth
it must be noted that given the scal
challenge, it is imperative to have a c
eholders must be aligned on the objectives for youth
elopment and participation, and must work in a coordinated
ner to facilitate holistic youth development. Innovative
tions that leverage available resources and tools are required
mpower the youth of the nation.
GoI needs to increase investment in the
uth to capture the demographic dividend
th present a considerable economic opportunity today
ch the government should capitalise on. There is a huge
ortunity for improvements in productivity of the youth
ugh programs targeted towards education, skilling,
epreneurship development and health care.
is currently spending approximately Rs 2,710 on every young
vidual through various Ministries, of which Rs 1,100 is through
eted programs. In order to capitalise on this opportunity,
government would need to invest more in youth across the
ous priority areas.
6.2 Mainstream youth issues in the
development process
It is evident that the youth will play a crucial role in th
development of the nation. Hence it is important that t
related to youth are mainstreamed and youth become a
priority. This can be achieved in several ways, including:
• Building Youth Development into RFDS:
As identified in Section-4, youth development is not an
that can be performed in isolation by MoYAS. One key me
for ensuring that all Ministries work towards mainst
youth development and participation is to identify
between MoYAS and other Ministries and incorporat
into the respective RFDs. Youth engagement and parti
measures must be included as metrics of success of
government programmes in the respective RFDs.
• Key Ministries Should Develop a ‘Youth Conn
Programme:
Given the fact that youth comprise 27.5% of the pop
and represent a large proportion of the target seg
most of the Ministries, it is important to ensure key M
communicate with the youth. NYP-2014 recommends
relevant Ministries should set up a mandatory ‘Youth
programme which is a targeted youth outreach pro
This programme will inform and educate the yout
the various schemes and programmes available to th
are administered by the Ministry. It can run offline th
combination of workshops, briefings and information
or online using ICT and social media, tailored to the
scheme. The outreach material and information fro
programmes can also be fed into the more broad-based
 Discuss and define role of all stakeholders
n the scale of the challenges facing the youth and the wide
e of stakeholders engaged in various capacities, it is important
efine the role of each stakeholder. There are two possible
s, that of a ‘doer’ responsible for creating programmes, or an
bler’ that creates a supporting environment for action and
motes the work of other stakeholders. It is important to build
eholder maps in each priority area in order to understand the
e of actors and activities. For each priority area, it is important
etermine which stakeholders are responsible for directly
ncing and implementing programmes, and which stakeholders
responsible for creating an enabling environment. Formal
nnels for stakeholder interaction must also be developed. For
mple, with respect to community engagement, MoYAS could
as a ‘doer’ through its programmes like NSS, NYKS and NYC,
ch work towards engaging youth in community development
atives. MoYAS also has a key ‘enabling’ role to create
ems that help the youth connect with existing community
elopment organisations and support their work.
6.4 Leverage various channels for eff
youth engagement and participation
There are several existing channels that the gov
can leverage to effectively engage with youth and
youth development. Two key ones are ICT and oth
organisations.
• Use ICT to engage with the youth: ICT and soci
are key tools that can be leveraged to connect and
with the youth. Given the growing penetration of the
amongst young people, especially via smartphones,
should more actively engage with the youth using tech
that they access on a daily basis. Youth outreach prog
no longer have to be physically implemented throug
clubs and other such networks, but can also be imple
via the internet, mobile phone applications and social
• Promote youth development through
organisations: The government should work
leveraging the vast number of stakeholders that are
working to support youth development and participat
expanding its own reach and access to the youth thro
networks of these organisations.
All stakeholders should review their strategies in li
the priorities for youth development identified in N
They should create action plans, design programmes in
 NCERT National Council of Educational Research and Traini
As Accredited Social Health Activists NIS National Institute of Sports
s Anganwadi Workers NPFAI National Playing Fields Association of India
The Boston Consulting Group (India) Private Limited NPYAD National Programme for Youth and Adolescent Deve
Bharat Nirman Volunteers NRHM National Rural Health Mission
Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation NRLM National Rural Livelihoods Mission
Centre of Excellence NSDP National Skill Development Policy
Department of AIDS Control NSQF National Skills Qualifications Framework
s Economically Backward Regions NSS National Service Scheme
Gross Enrolment Rates NYC National Youth Corps
Gross National Income NYKS Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan
Government of India NYP-2014 National Youth Policy, 2014
Information and Communication Technology PEO Programme Evaluation Organisation
Independent Evaluation Office PHC Primary Health Centre
Industrial Training Institute PMEGP Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programm
Janani Suraksha Yojana PMRDF Prime Minister’s Rural Development Fellowship
P Legislative Assistants to Members of Parliament PMSSY Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana
E Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education PPP Public Private Partnership
Left Wing Extremism PRIs Panchayati Raj Institutions
s Micro-Enterprise Consultants PYKKA Panchayat Yuva Krida Aur Khel Abhiyan
REGA Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act RFD Results Framework Document
D Ministry of Human Resource Development RGNIYD Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Developme
Ministry of Labour and Employment RGPSA Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Sashaktikaran Abhiyan
R Maternal Mortality Rate RGUMY Rajiv Gandhi Udyami Mitra Yojana
FW Ministry of Health and Family Welfare RMSA Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan
R Ministry of Panchayati Raj RSETIs Rural Self-employment Training Institutes
D Ministry of Rural Development RTE Right to Education Act
JE Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment RTI Right to Information Act
ME Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises RUSA Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan
A Ministry of Tribal Affairs SAG Special Area Games
CD Ministry of Women and Child Development SAI Sports Authority of India
AS Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports STC SAI Training Centre
Es Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises UGC University Grants Commission
Ministry of Urban Development UHC Universal Health Coverage
designed by: roopali jain

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