Eleventh Five Year Plan

2Youth Affairs and Sports and Art and Culture2.1 YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTSYOUTH AND ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT2.1.1 The adolescents and youths are the mostvibrant and dynamic segment as well as potentiallymost valuable human resource of every country.While the youth population is fast shrinking withhigher dependency ratios in the developed world,India is blessed with 70% of her population belowthe age of 35 years. In the next few decades Indiawill probably have the world’s largest number ofyoung people. The population between the age of10–19 years is approximately 242 million, the largestever cohort of young people to make a transition toadulthood. The time has never been better to investin our young people. Efforts, therefore, need to bemade to harness the energy of the youth towardsnation-building through their active and responsiveparticipation.Existing Schemes and Programmes2.1.2 At present, 12 schemes and programmes arebeing implemented for the development of youth andadolescents. These schemes can be broadly categorizedinto two groups, viz., youth based organizations andyouth development activities. The NYKS and NationalService Scheme (NSS) are the two flagship programmesencompassing a major part of its activities ininstitutional, functional, and financial terms (60%).The Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development(RGNIYD), established in 1993, has beenengaged in education, training, and research on youthdevelopment. The scheme of Youth Hostel aims atpromoting youth travel and provides boarding andlodging facilities at very subsidized rates. The NationalService Volunteers Scheme (NSVS) and RashtriyaSadbhavana Yojana (RSY) aim at providing opportunitiesto educated youths other than students toinvolve themselves voluntarily in youth and communitydevelopmental activities. The schemes are forperforming activities related to vocational training,development of adolescents, national integration andadventure, for which financial assistance is providedto NYKS and other NGOs/institutions. Grant-in-aidis provided to Bharat Scouts and Guides for conductingtraining camps and holding of jamborees, etc.,throughout the country. The scheme of ‘Cultural YouthProgrammes with Commonwealth Countries’ is aneffective institution for promoting exchange of ideas,values, and culture among youth and strengthensbetter relations.Performance during the Plan Period2.1.3 In the temporal context, to harness the YuvaShakti in nation-building several programmes fornational discipline, leadership training, expansion andstrengthening of the NSS and NYKS, launching NSVS,effective coordination amongst different programmeswere introduced in successive Plan periods. However,the sector received a boost in the Seventh Plan, whena National Youth Policy was enacted and a Plan ofAction formulated in 1992. The thrust in the Eighth