Lok Sabha Question No. 1771 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-12-28
Subject: Leadership Skills amongst Youth
Ministry: YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS
Asked by: DUSHYANT SINGH

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS (DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH AFFAIRS)

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1771

TO BE ANSWERED ON 28.12.2017

Leadership Skills amongst Youth

1771.  SHRI DUSHYANT SINGH:

Will the Minister of YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  ministry  has  any  plans  to  devise  campaigns  targeted towards  increasing leadership skills amongst the youth of India;
- (b)   if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c)  the details of the programmes undertaken by the Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD) aiming towards leadership development;
- (d)  whether  the  Government  has  plans  to  expand  the  model  of  RGNIYD throughout India and impart leadership development training to students of higher secondary level; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR YOUTH AFFAIRS & SPORTS {COL. RAJYAVARDHAN RATHORE (RETD.)}

- (a)      Yes,  Ministry  of  Youth  Affairs  and Sports, Govt. of India, through the Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD),

Sriperumbudur, has taken several initiatives and carried out certain targeted interventions towards increasing leadership skills among the youth of India. (b)&(c)  Details  of  the  important  initiatives  and  interventions  taken  by  the RGNIYD are given in the enclosed Annexure. (d) & (e) Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD) is a statutory institution incorporated under RGNIYD Act, 2012 (No. 35 of 2012). It imparts instructions for specified academic degrees.  Besides, it conducts various training programme for NSS/NYKS officers and trainees in volunteerism.  It has regional centre at Chandigarh.

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- (i) Academic programmes at Master's  Degree  level  and  Doctoral  research  in the  spheres  of  'Youth  Development'  were  introduced  and  operated  tjrpigj the  RGNIYD  since  the  year  2008  and  2011  respectively.    Presently,  the Institute offers six  PG  programmes  of  two year duration viz., M.A. Development Policy and Practice, M.A. Gender Studies, M.A. Local Governance and Development, M.A. Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship,  M.A.  Social  Work  and  M.Sc.  Counselling  Psychology. These  programmes  are  primarily  aimed  at  developing  a  cadre  of  youth development professionals for the country to contribute in multiple ways to enhance the reach and extent of  the  initiatives  and  interventions  towards leadership skills for youth empowerment.
- (ii) RGNIYD  have  been  organizing  number  of  Training  of  Trainers  (ToT) programmes  on  youth  leadership  and  personality  development.    These programmes are primarily aimed at building and capacity of NSS Programme Officers, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan functionaries and civil society  functionaries  working  with  and  working  for  youth'  to  organize cascaded training for developing leadership skills among the youth.  These programmes have been resulted in enhancing the capacity and effectiveness  of  those  trained  functionaries  to  organize  cascaded  training for extending the reach and extent of the programmes.
- (iii) RGNIYD has expressed our interest to organize 'Orientation Programmes on Empowering youth in Governance and Development' in the constituency of each  Member of Parliament  from  Lok  Sabha.    The  first  programme  in  the series was recently conducted at Jammu during 10-12 December 2017 and the  programme was attended by about 50  youth  delegates  from  the  MP's constituency.
- (iv) Towards  accelerating  and  professionalizing the efforts for increasing leadership skills among the youth, the Executive Council of RGNIYD, in its recent  meeting  held  at  Sriperumbudur  on  5  December  2017,  decided  to establish a 'Centre of Excellence in Political Leadership and Management' in its  premises  at  Sriperumbudur.    The  Centre  will  be  launching  specific programmes aiming at developing the capacity of potential youth as future political  leaders  working  from  Panchayat  to  Parliament.    A  one-year professional  programme  is  being  designed  to  be  launched  in  2018.  The Centre will also organize several short-term courses and thematic workshops in  the  areas  like  'Geo-Spatial  Technology  for  Governance  and Development,' 'Constituency Management System for Political Leadership', etc.
- (v) A pilot initiative of 'Constituency Management System' was launched in the Sonawari Assembly Constituency of Jammu and Kashmir on 10 December 2017 by the Honourable Minister for Finance, Govt. of Jammu and Kashmir. The  system  is  visualized  as  an  'ICT-supported  Spatial  Decision  Support System' with tremendous potentials to enhance the capacity and efficiency of emerging political leadership and vibrant citizenship, primarily targeting youth.
- (vi) RGNIYD has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with IIIDEM, an organ of the Election Commission of India to promote voter education among youth.  Voter awareness campaigns to inculcate the spirit of 'active citizenship'  among  the  youth  will  be  taken  up  at  different  parts  of  the country,  through  the  NSS,  Nehru  Yuva  Kendra  Sangathan  and  other  civil society  organizations  working  with  and  working  for  youth  across  the country.