March 21, 2002

    The Government has set up a National Commission for Youth, headed by Shri Balbir Punj, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha). The Commission had its first meeting, here today where the members reiterated their commitment to the terms of reference of the Commission. The Commission has been set up to enable the Government to overcome the problems confronting the youth and among other things bring fresh perspectives to the issues involved. This would be achieved by reorienting and reorganizing the ongoing youth programmes to increase their effectiveness, outreach and take fresh initiatives wherever required. The tenure of the Commission is six months from the date of its constitution within which it will submit its report to the Government.

    The Commission, with its headquarters at Delhi will devise its own procedures and may consult such people, as it may consider necessary. It has also been authorised to commission studies as may be required from time to time and may call for such information as it may consider necessary. It is a non-statutory recommendatory body. The other members of the Commission are – Shri Yogesh Shukla, Shri S. Sriniwasan, Shri Kulendra Dualagopy, Dr. Maneesha Upendra Kothekar and Dr. Dinesh Sharma. The Member-Secretary of the Commission is Shri R. K. Mishra, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

The terms of reference of the National Youth Commission include:

1. To construct and recommend an action oriented strategy and approach for the development of youth and suggest new policy measures and programmes, which are multi-dimensional and cross-cutting. The problem of youth unemployment with stress on the North-East will be of particular concern.
2. To review existing youth related schemes and programmes implemented by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports as well as by other Ministries/Departments of the Government of India with particular reference to their potential for employment generation.
3. To conceptualize a frame-work for coordination of youth related activities of State Governments, Ministries/Departments of Government of India, NGOs and the private sector and to recommend measures for convergence.
4. To look into the recommendations of the Working Group on Adolescents set up by the Planning Commission and suggest specific intervention strategies for catering to the needs of this group.
5. To suggest measures for the implementation of the Plan of Action of the new National Youth Policy.