National policy for youth development on anvil

Kathmandu, February 8:

The government is finaliswork on a national youth policy to include more than nine million youths in the mainstream of national development.

The youth policy includes various subject matters on how to make the present education system technical and income-oriented and also how to orientate and involve in the development of the self and country a larger number of confused youths who feel compelled to indulge in various evils and aberrations.

According to the census of 2001, youths aged 14-35 years account for 38 per cent of the total population and the policy is aimed at addressing a larger number of such youths who can contribute to nation-building, said Assistant Minister for Education and Sports, Bhuwan Pathak.

In this connection, the National Youth Policy-2062 Draft Committee constituted under Pathak’s convenorship prepared the draft of the policy and forwarded it to the government along with procedures for the formation of the Youth Council.

The committee has put forward a proposal for constituting a National Youth Council under the patronage of Crown Prince Paras. The proposal also includes the provision for ensuring wide-ranging representation of talented youths ranging between 16-40 years from various walks of life. These include dalits, indigenous, backward and excluded communities.

Stressing the need for such policy in order to clearly specify the responsibilities of the youths towards the nation and to mobilize them according to the dictates of the situation, Pathak said that the policy would be enforced by mid-March.

He also said the youth council would strive to address the problems of the intelligent but misled youths.

At present, the youths are in urgent need of proper career counseling and are engulfed either in insurgency or in educational unemployment.

Pathak added that the number of unemployed and unskilled youths is increasing every year though the state invests around Rs 2 billion in the education sector annually.

He also said that keeping in view this situation the proposed policy would focus on producing innovative youths armed with skills and technology.

Chief Commissioner of Nepal Scouts and policy draft committee member Shreeram Lamichhane said the youths tend to involve in various wrongdoings such as violence, killings, and drug abuse due to the state’s failure to lure them to the mainstream.

He also stressed on including scouts for moral education in all the schools of the country so

as to make youth patriotic and disciplined from their childhood.

Actress Jala Shaha hoped that the proposed youth policy would encourage Nepali youth to empower the nation with their blood and toil which is currently being wasted in Gulf countries.

Prominent sports personality Sangina Baidhya said that the policy should create an environment where youth dedicate themselves to furthering the positive image of the country before international community.

Miss Nepal 2006 Sugarika KC said the policy should be aimed at creating opportunities that can explore the hidden talent of the youth force of the country and inspire them to develop their genius in their respective sectors.

The youth policy is also centred on protecting and promoting youths who can specialize in art, music, sports, education and acting as well as inspiring them towards creative works by shielding them from gender discrimination, conflict, abuse and evil practices.