Kathmandu, August 12

International Youth Day was marked across the country today by organising various programmes.

Speaking at a programme held here to mark the day, Minister of Youth and Sports Jagat Bahadur Sunar stressed the need to educate the youths about the importance of self-employment. “Migration of youths to foreign countries for employment can be reduced through self-employment,” he said.

The day also marked the end of a week-long programme conducted by the ministry in association with National Youth Council, district youth committees, district sports development committees, local levels and various social organisations.

The current youth population is the largest so far in the country, according to Central Bureau of Statistics. Youths comprise 40.35 per cent (4,915,192 males and 5,793,837 females) of the total population of the country. People between the ages of 15 and 39 are considered youths.

According to NYC, annually an average of 400,000 youths are forced to migrate to foreign countries in search of employment. A total of 304,569 males and 19,308 females had left the country through legal route for foreign employment last fiscal.

It is estimated that 7.25 per cent of total population live outside the country.

A record by NYC shows that 13,893 youths were elected in the local level elections. As many as 130 youths were elected to provincial assemblies, 36 to federal Parliament and four to the National Assembly.

According to the UN, there are currently 1.8 billion youths in the world, which is the largest youth population ever. The slogan for this year’s International Youth Day was ‘Safe Spaces for Youth.’