National Youth Council gets full shape

Kathmandu, July 5

Ministry of Youth and Sports has nominated 24 new members in the National Youth Council, which was established last year after the authentication of National Youth Council Act-2015 for the protection and promotion of the rights of youths aged between 16 and 40 years.

A meeting held at the ministry yesterday had made public the names of new members. The NYC Act has authorised MoYS to nominate members of the council.

As per the act, four members have been nominated from four youth related organisations, 14 from indigenous nationalities, Dalits, Madheshis, people with disabilities, minority groups and backward areas and six from industry, labour, agriculture, sports, science, technology and environment, and art and culture. With this the NYC now has got full shape.

The members are Bhawana Bhatta (Pyuthan), Rupa Upreti (Bara), Tika Paudel (Ilam), Sujit KC (Kathmandu), Durga Nanda Thakur (Saptari), Tek Raj Pachhai (Jumla), Prabej Alam Ansari (Bara), Kshitiz Thebe (Taplejung), Dhanaraj Tumwapo (Panchthar), Sailendra Kumar Chaudhary (Rautahat), Laxmi Prasad Chaulagain (Kalikot), Jhalamaya BK (Nawalparasi), Sangita Achami (Lalitpur), Jinat Ansari (Kathmandu),Samjhana Adhikari (Parbat), Lala Sharma (Dang), Pinky Kumari Shah, Sita Subedi, Dilip Neupane (Kaski), Khim Prasad Panthi (Arghakachi), Tej Bahadur Thapa- Tilak (Baglung), Tulasa Waiba (Sindhuli), Pabitra Bhurtel (Kavre) and Thalu Rajbhandari (Okhalghunga).

Minister for youth and sports is the chairperson of the NYC. A Cabinet decision on March 2 had appointed Madhab Dhungel, former president of CPN-UML’s student wing All Nepal National Free Students Union, as the NYC vice chairperson.

Similarly, seven secretaries from seven ministries  Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Agriculture Development, MoYS, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and secretary of National Planning Commission  are ex-officio members of the council.

The tenure of the members will be of four years, according to the NYC Act. It has also emphasised on nominating fifty per cent female youths as members. The members can be sacked anytime if they are found evading their duties and responsibilities.

The most senior officer of the NYC remains the member secretary of the NYC.

The NYC will now draft long term policies related to youths and recommend them to the government.