623 Nehru Yuva Kendras in the country: Minister

Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affairs & Sports, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal has said that there are 623 Nehru Yuva Kendras in the country in  a written reply in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

These centres have been contributing in developing activities promoting welfare and sports activities. The Government has been allocating funds under Block Grant to these centres to develop such activities.   y.

These Yuva Kendras undertake multifarious activities through a large network of Youth Clubs/ Mahila Mandals and Volunteers who work at the grassroots level. The programmes undertaken by these Yuva Kendras are for youth club development, awareness and education, capacity enhancement, promotion of spirit of sportsmanship, promoting folk art and culture, skill up-gradation and programmes for promotion of national unity.

These programmes and activities facilitate to make Yuva Kendras socially vibrant and productive and work for National Welfare and integration. Some of the major Programmes are as under:-

1. Youth Club Development Programme
2. Training on Youth Leadership and Community Development
3. Theme Based Awareness and Education Programme
4. Promotion of Sports (Sports material to Youth Clubs)
5. Cluster and District level Inter Youth Club Sports Meet
6. Skill Up-gradation Training Programme for Young Women and Men
7. Promotion of Folk, Art and Culture
8. Observance of Days of National and International Importance
9. District Youth Convention and Yuva Kriti
10. Awards to Outstanding Youth Club at District, State and National level
11. Organizing National Integration Camps (NICs)
12. Youth Leadership and Personality Development Programmes (YLPDPs)
13. Life Skill Training Programmes and Adventure Camps

In addition to above, these Yuva Kendras are undertaking the following programmes with funding from other Ministries/ Organizations:-

1. Tribal Youth Exchange Programme
2. Adolescent Health and Development Project (AHDP)
3. Projects on Awareness and Education for Prevention of Drug Abuse and Alcoholism in Punjab, etc.

Each Kendra is having sanctioned strength of one post each of District Youth Coordinator (DYC), Account Clerk Cum Typist (ACT) and Multi Tasking Staff (MTS). At present there is a sanctioned strength of 623 Youth Coordinators, out of which, 279 are been filled up and remaining 344 posts are lying vacant.

In order to ensure that the Government Programmes do not suffer, alternative arrangements have been made. In case of Kendras where full time DYCs are not available, the activities are carried on by assigning additional charge to the DYCs of the other Districts.

In addition, the situation is also being managed by taking officers on deputation and re-employment of retired officers on contract basis for limited period, subject to suitability.