Keeping the youth in mind ahead of the lok Sabha polls, the Cabinet on Thursday approved the National Youth Policy (NYP-2014), that will replace the ongoing policy which is in force since 2003.
The current population of youth between the age group 15-29 stands at 33 crore as per the 2011 census and this sizable chunk forms more than 27.5 per cent of the population of the country.
The vision of NYP-2014 is to empower the youth to achieve their full potential and identifies five objectives and 11 priority areas and suggests policy interventions in each priority area. The priority areas are education, skill development and employment, entrepreneurship, health and healthy lifestyle, sports, promotion of social values, community engagement, participation in politics and governance, youth engagement, inclusion and social justice.
The focused approach on youth development and empowerment involving all stakeholders, as envisaged in NYP-2014, would result in development of an educated and healthy young population, who are not only economically productive, but are also socially responsible citizens contributing to the task of nation-building. The new policy will replace NYP-2003, to take care of developments since 2003 and future policy imperatives, the official Press communiqué said.
The NYP-2014 proposes broad policy interventions for the youth consistent with the 12th Plan priorities and does not propose any specific programme or scheme, having financial implications. All concerned Ministries and Departments will be asked to focus on youth issues within the framework of their plans, it said.
Elaborating upon the rationale for having such a policy, the government said India is one of the youngest nations in the world and is expected to have a very favourable demographic profile in the near future.
This is a great opportunity as well as a challenge and NYP-2014 seeks a framework for appropriate policy interventions by Government and non-Government stakeholders, to empower the youth to enable them to realise their full potential as also to contribute to the progress of the nation.