Youth empowerment gets top priority in the State
The efforts are also on to provide them vocational training so as to develop their skills and make them adaptable to the needs and aspiration of the rapidly growing industrial units in the State.
The state government realizes that youth who consists of about 40 percent of the population, need ample opportunity for self-expression, self-development and cultural attainment enabling them to assume social and civic responsibility.
To achieve this objective, the state government has set up Himachal Pradesh State Youth Board headed by the chairmanship of Chief Minister under Youth Services and Sports department to implement and monitor various programmes and activities for the youth.
The Youth Services and Sports department is playing a pivotal role in this direction by implementing various programmes by providing requisite institution and infrastructural facilities to youth. The main objective of the department is to make the youth a powerful instrument in effecting social, cultural and economic changes and to channelize their energies, idealism and aspirations towards building up a strong society.
A budgetary provision of Rs 1.15 crore has been made for the current financial year for the Board to run its activities. The financial assistance of rupees seven lakh is being provided to all district level units of the Board to run its activities.
State Youth Board is providing grant-in-aid to District Youth Boards, Yuva Mandals and voluntary organisations for cultural, sports and adventure activities. During 2015-16, an amount of Rs. 70.00 lakhs have been given as grant-in-aid to the Board.
The Board is also imparting training in computer and mobile repair from this year which would help the rural youth in earning livelihood. Besides, as many as 400 youth ageing between15 to 35 are being provided training in agriculture and horticulture through Krishi Vigyan Kendras being run by the Agriculture University, Palampur.
The Himachal Pradesh Sports council has been constituted to boost the activities of Sports in the State. A budget provision of Rs. 80.00 lakhs has been kept for this financial year to run its various sports activities which include grant-in-aid to recognized State Sports Associations, voluntary sports clubs, District Sports councils, organization of rural/women sports tournaments, coaching camps, Dr. Y.S. Parmar Memorial Volleyball tournament and cash awards to outstanding sports persons in the State.
Under the three-tier Panchayati Raj system, it is the endeavour of the Department to establish a Nodal Youth Club in every Panchayt in a phased manner. 77 Nodal Youth Club have been established in each Block and these clubs are functioning for the implementation of its schemes. Youth volunteers have been appointed in all 77 Development Blocks of the State.
The financial assistance under the Nodal Club Scheme of the State Youth Board for purchasing the cultural and sports kits has been enhanced to Rs. 20,000 for each club from this year.
The state government is also organizing workshops and youth leadership camps to resolve their grievances at an appropriate level and also to instill spirit of nationalism and patriotism in them. The government is also mulling to formulate a new scheme called the Entrepreneur Development Scheme for developing entrepreneurship among the local youth in the State.
Top priority is being accorded by the government for rapid industrialization in the State so as to increase growth and create employment opportunities for youth. The youth are being given vocational training so as to develop their skills and make them adaptable to the needs and aspiration of the industrial units in the State.
National Youth Day and Week are also being organised on regular basis. As many as 120 youth from 10 districts participated in the State level National Youth Day held at Shimla on in January, 2015. A budget provision of rupees four lakhs has been kept for the purpose during the current financial year 2015-16.
