3.13
YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS
Introduction
3.13.1
Youth constitute the most creative segment
of any society. Their role and contribution
are vital to all societies and more so in
a country like India with wide social, cultural
and other demographic diversities. Youth constitute
about 34% of the total population of India.
The need and importance of physical education
for health and physical fitness with a view
to increasing individual productivity, and
the value of sports as a means of recreation
and with a potential for promoting social
harmony and discipline are well recognised.
YOUTH AFFAIRS :
Achievements Since Independence:
3.13.2 The
importance of youth in national development
has been a recurring theme in all Five Year
Plans. The National Discipline Scheme introduced
in the Second Plan continued in the Third
Plan. The Fourth Plan gave special emphasis
on the needs of the youth and training of
youth leadership. Support was provided to
voluntary organisations to participate in
youth development programmes. Community Service
was developed as an integral part of the curriculum
for education, instruction and training of
all students enrolled in educational institutions.
3.13.3
During the Fifth Plan, expansion and strengthening
of National Service Scheme and Nehru Yuva
Kendras received emphasis. National Service
Volunteer Scheme was launched. In the Sixth
Plan an effort was made to effect coordination
of different programmes. The services of youth
were increasingly utilized for conservation
of environment and generation of mass awareness
and community education programmes. A National
Youth Policy was framed in the Seventh Five
Year Plan and accordingly a Plan of Action
was formulated in 1992.
3.13.4
The main schemes in the Seventh Plan for student
youth related to Bharat Scouts and Guides,
National Service Scheme and National Service
Volunteer Scheme. At the end of the Seventh
Plan enrolment in these schemes was: NSS -
10 lakhs, Scouts and Guides - 22 lakhs and
NSVS - 3000. Considering the large number
of school and college students this coverage
was inadequate.
3.13.5
During the VII Plan for non-student youth
the main schemes were Nehru Yuva Kendras the
number of which increased to 398 and Youth
Clubs where the increase in number was from
25,000 to 50,000. The Programme Evaluation
Organisation of the Planning Commission carried
out an evaluation of the programmes. The evaluation
indicates some inadequacies such as disparities
in service conditions of youth coordinators,
lack of proper linkages with development activities
of their departments etc. Steps were initiated
to take up National Integration Programmes,
particularly in the north-east and the border
areas. National Youth Awards were also instituted.
Eighth Plan Performance
Review
3.13.6
The Eighth Five Year Plan and the National
Youth Policy had interalia emphasized (i)
organising the youth force for the promotion
of national and cultural integration; (ii)
promoting awareness and involvement of youth
in social programmes pertaining to literacy,
environment, health and family welfare, and
community development; (iii) fostering and
developing interaction between youth from
different parts of the country specially the
isolated border and tribal areas; (iv) promoting
education and self-employment capability of
the rural youth, especially of girls and youth
in backward areas; (v) developing the interest
of youth in adventure and other outdoor activities;
and (vi) providing opportunities for leadership
training.
3.13.7
The Department of Youth Affairs & Sports
made major strides during the VIII Plan period.
The number of Nehru Yuva Kendra went up from
398 to 499. Number of Youth Clubs affiliated
to Nehru Yuva Sangathan went up to 1,64,000
by the end of the VIII Plan Period. The number
of Volunteers enrolled under National Service
Scheme went up to 13 lakhs during the VIII
Plan period covering 158 universities, 7,000
colleges and +2 institutions. A new scheme
for the setting up of "Youth Development
Centres" for a group of ten villages
was introduced during the VIII Plan period.
These Centres are responsible for creation
of facilities for information, sports, training
and for taking up youth programmes for rural
youth. A one time financial assistance of
Rs.30,000/- is given to each Centre to cater
to its requirements of equipment and furniture
etc. 340 such Centres were assisted during
the VIII Plan period.
3.13.8
The Government of India constituted a Committee
for National Youth Programme (CONYP) in pursuance
of National Youth Policy. National Youth Festivals
(Yuva Utsav) were organised every year since
1995. Outstanding individuals and organisations
were rewarded. Work on a new National Youth
Policy was initiated during 1996-97.
3.13.9
During the Eighth Plan, the field operations
of Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan were extended
to provide more opportunities to the rural
youth. New programmes, namely, Health Awareness
Units, Panchayati Raj Training, Self-Employed
Workers Association Kendras etc. were introduced.
Training programmes were organised by NYKS
on health awareness in many villages of the
country. NYKS also took up `Youth Against
AIDS' campaign in several districts in addition
to `Mass Awareness Generation Campaign on
GATT'. Watershed Management and Wasteland
Development Programmes were integrated into
NSS programmes under "Youth for Sustainable
Development".State level adventure academies
were established in Gujarat and Tripura. Aerosports
and Water sports were promoted in several
states. Public trusts and NGOs provided vocational
training programmes to promote self-employment
for youth. So far 50 Youth Hostels have been
commissioned and 23 are under various stages
of construction.
Ninth Plan Thrust
Harnessing Yuva
Shakti
3.13.10
The National Agenda for Governance states
: "Our youth are the strength of the
family, village, locality and the community,
they are also the future of our nation. We
will take all necessary steps to mobilise
this most idealistic, inspired and energetic
section of our society in the mission of nation-
building. For this purpose, we shall build
national consensus for the creation of a National
Reconstruction Corps aimed at environmental
protection, ecological tasks, reclamation
of waste land, including afforestation, and
for spreading literacy. We will have a time-bound
programme for promotion of sports."
Action Plan
New thrust areas of youth
programmes will focus on harnessing yuva shakti
by taking into consideration the following:
3.13.11
A new scheme of National Reconstruction Corps
(NRC) will be formulated aiming at environmental
protection, ecological tasks, reclamation
of waste land, including afforestation, spreading
literacy and other community based nation
building activities. Youth volunteers to be
enrolled as members of NRC will be given a
honorarium and will simultaneously be given
vocational and enterprise development training,
enabling them to take up self employment ventures.
A national level apex organisation for rendering
technical and financial assistance to youth
for setting up micro enterprises for self
employment will be set up.
3.13.12
The Department of Youth Affairs and Sports
as a nodal agency for extending necessary
support and dissemination of information to
the targetted youth, will work out modalities
of networking with other Ministries/Departments
for effective and efficient utilization of
resources. The training of youth will be development-oriented
in order to provide facilities to those who
need them. Market surveys on specific skills
will be conducted for specific product-oriented
training. Self- employment and entrepreneurship
development will be emphasized.
3.13.13
Community polytechnics and NGOs will be involved
extensively in vocational training programmes
of NYKS in order to provide access to rural
and marginalised youth. Assistance to Voluntary
Organisations and Self-Help Groups working
in the field of Youth programmes will be encouraged.
Voluntary Organisations will be encouraged
to work in the field of adolescent youth.
3.13.14
The adolescent youth will receive particular
attention. A concerted effort will be undertaken
to build for adolescents a relatively stable
place in society so as to facilitate their
healthy development.
3.13.15
Youth with special needs will receive priority
attention. Programmes for young people with
physical and mental disabilities, slow learners,
youth prone to social deviance, youth with
drug addiction and HIV seropositives will
be further strengthened and coordinated.
3.13.16
Youth Clubs will be further strengthened.
The aim will be to have a club in each village,
which will be of multi- dimensional character,
so as to address the problems of youth and
channelise their energy for productive endeavour
and good citizenship.
Sports Achievements
Since Independence
3.13.17
Physical education, games and sports and yoga
in educational institutions were promoted
right from the beginning of the planning era.
During the Second Five Year Plan, National
College of Physical Education and National
Institute of Sports were established. Facilities
for coaching of games and rural sports were
expanded. In the Sixth Plan, spotting and
nurturing of talent was emphasized. In the
Seventh Plan emphasis was given to adventure
sports. Infrastructural development was taken
up for the purpose. The Sports Authority of
India implemented a number of programmes such
as training of coaches, establishment of centres
for sports medicine etc. On the basis of the
National Sports Policy framed during the Seventh
Five Year Plan, an action plan was formulated
in 1992.
3.13.18
The Asian Games 1982 gave a new impetus to
sports and games. The implementation of the
National Sports Policy, 1984 was taken up.
The policy empasized importance of health
and physical fitness through physical education
and participation in sports; to achieve these,
the desirability of creating infrastructure
and facilities were emphasized. Sports Authority
of India implemented the following schemes:
(i) Under the National Physical Fitness Scheme.
a national level display `Bharatiyam' with
50,000 children participating was staged in
1989. (ii) In 1989 the Sports Project Development
Areas Scheme was introduced to provide infrastructural
facilities for training, coaching and coordinating
competitions. Each SPDA covers 80-100 development
blocks. So far 25 SPDAs have been sanctioned.
(iii) About 8000 coaches were trained under
National Coaching Scheme through different
centres of the Netaji Subhash National Institute
of Sports. Of these, more than 1600 have been
deployed. (iv) Sports talent from tribal,
coastal, hilly and far-flung areas of the
country was scouted under the Special Area
Games and trained in competitive games. Archery
and Watersports centres were established under
the scheme.
3.13.19
The Department of Sports continued to implement
the schemes of the National Sports Organisation
which included creation of sports infrastructure
in colleges and universities with assistance
made available through the UGC, financial
assistance to sports clubs, and scholarships
to women for promotion of sports among them.
3.13.20
In physical education, the infrastructure
consists of Laxmibai National Institute of
Physical Education, Gwalior, Regional Centre
at Tiruvananthapuram and about 200 colleges
of physical education.
Plan Performance
Review
3.13.21
The thrust areas of the VIII Plan as also
the Plan of Action (POA 1992) for Sports Policy
interalia emphasized (i) creation of desired
sports climate in the country and generating
conscious responsibility in every citizen
to keep physically fit and participate in
games and sports; (ii) introduction of sports
and physical education in schools, creation
and improvement of facilities beginning with
primary and secondary schools and ending at
college level with networking between different
levels; (iii) adoption of scientific approach
including sports physiology, sports psychology,
sports medicine and balanced nutrition to
enhance sports potential; (iv) participation
of State Governments in developing comprehensive
plan for development of sports; (v) promotion
of sports and physical education among girls
and marginalised populations; (vi) identifying
talent and training in sports; (vii) making
National Federations financially autonomous
and encouraging public to invest in sports
by giving them incentives like tax rebate
and relaxation in import duty etc.
3.13.22
Creation of lot of sports infrastructure and
laying of synthetic tracks and surfaces have
been undertaken during the Plan. Many rural
schools have been assisted for development
of playfields and sports equipment. Infrastructural
facilities have also been created in a number
of colleges and universities. Prize money
is given to winning schools at district level
tournaments. Talented school children in the
age group 9-12 years are identified. Special
training is imparted to sports persons under
Special Area Games (SAG) and Sports Project
Development Area Centres (SPDA) schemes.
3.13.23
Annual scholarships are disbursed to University
level players through Sports Authority of
India (SAI). Scholarships are also provided
to champions in the National Women Championship.
Evaluation of SAI schemes has been done by
Tata Consultancy Services.
3.13.24
A core group on Sports Medicine was set up
in 1992 which came up with several recommendations
which are being implemented by SAI. SAI has
developed Sports Science and Sports Medicine
facilities at Delhi, Patiala and Bangalore.
Netaji Subhash National Institute of Sports
has developed a two-year course in Sports
Medicine.
3.13.25
Some corporate investments in sports have
been made available for football, hockey,
tennis, chess and table tennis etc.
Ninth Plan
Action Plan
3.13.26
For promotion of sports, National Sports Development
Fund will be created where private and government
contribution will be made for creating necessary
infrastructure for sports, its maintenance
and organising sports events.
3.13.27
It is proposed to set up sports schools by
suitably adopting the Navodaya Vidyalaya Pattern
in different States.These schools would mainly
be geared to physical education disciplines
and have some academic subjects in addition.
3.13.28
There is also a need to take a wider perspective
of integrating `sports' as part of the educational
system. For that purpose, Department of Education
will earmark funds for sports promotion, upkeep
of playgrounds and physical sports infrastructure
under Kendriya Vidayalayas and Navodaya Vidyalayas,
training of physical education instructors,
etc.
3.13.29
Similarly, State Governments will also provide
`additive provision' for `sports' in their
education budgets, so that improvement of
sports facilities could be made available
to youth.
3.13.30
Department of Youth Affairs & Sports will
take necessary action to prepare and update
`Directory of Sports Facilities' both at the
Centre and State/UT level and take necessary
steps for utilisation of the existing facilities
on `neighbourhood' concept. Necessary guidelines
will be prepared in consultation with the
State Governments and other authorities.
3.13.31 Greater
integration of the scientific facilities,
the established and sound principles of sports
physiology and sports medicine with requisite
quality of manpower relevant to the training
needs of sportspersons will be achieved in
coming years. Greater importance will be given
to further enhance the competencies and skills
of our coaches for training the national teams
as also for availing up services of world
class coaches. Programmes of continuing education
of such coaches will be established. Special
attention will be given to the North-East
region for maximum utilization of available
talent.
3.13.32
A policy for promoting the participation of
NGOs and industries for their contribution
in sharing resources and sponsored programmes
for sports and youth activities will be evolved.
The private and public sector units will be
encouraged to take up promotion and development
of sports infrastructure. Sports academies
in specific disciplines will be developed
under their sponsorship. The existing tax
incentive in sports to the corporate houses
will be simplified and publicised with a view
to attracting as much investment as possible.
3.13.33
The strategy adopted for greater access will
involve substantial investment in physical
education, infrastructure development and
in creating widespread awareness for physical
fitness with special focus on school children.
The State Governments will be requested to
implement the recommendations of the Central
Advisory Board on Education to make Sports
and Physical Education compulsory subjects
in the curriculum.
3.13.34
There is a need to promote Research &
Development (R&D) on sports. It is necessary
to initiate research on sports medicine using
all systems of medicine. Deptt. of Youth Affairs
& Sports will inter-act with Defence Research
Development Organisation (DRDO) for development
of low cost artificial turf surfaces for playing
hockey. Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs)
will also be approached for research on low
cost surfaces.
3.13.35
Sports infrastructure will be made readily
available to the public at large so that it
can participate in various activities. Various
State and nongovernmental organisations will
need to be encouraged to build infrastructural
facilities. The creation of infrastructure
at district and tehsil levels will be the
responsibility of the State Governments. There
will be maximum utilisation of the existing
facilities. Proper coordination, joint effort
and congruence of objectives are required
to get the maximum output. For this purpose
it is necessary to do a detailed analysis
and prioritization of schemes.
3.13.36
Special attention will be given to the promotion
of sports and games among the handicapped
persons by providing specially designed equipment,
playgrounds for special education centres,
training of special educators and instructors
and holding of tournaments etc. A special
scheme will be formulated for the promotion
of sports and games among the four categories
of disabled persons namely, (a) Blind and
Visually Handicapped; (b) Deaf and Dumb; (c)
Mentally Retarded; and (d) Physically Handicapped.
The scheme will provide financial assistance
for specially required equipment, play-grounds
for special education centres, training of
special educators, appointment of sports teachers/coaches
in special education centres, training camps,
holding of tournaments etc.
3.13.37
A National Programme of Physical Fitness in
schools will be taken up, which will involve
the training of select subject teachers in
the basics of physical education through in-service
training programme and measuring the progress
of each individual student against a laid
down norm.
3.13.38
The North Eastern Region will be given special
facilities for promotion of sports. The work
on State level Sports Complexes in the State
Capitals as well as District level/Sub-district
level complexes/centres will continue. A regional
agency under the aegis of NEC will fund, monitor
and coordinate sports and youth programmes
in the region. Development of sports and youth
activities in colleges and Universities, upgradation
of coaching standards, scholarship schemes
for outstanding young athletes, promotion
of adventure activities, projects aimed at
creating awareness of environmental, national
and social issues, training of personnel incharge
of various sports and youth facilities, holding
of sports tournaments, regional championships
in specific disciplines, regional sports tournaments
for colleges and universities will be taken
up.
