The Centre has announced the setting up of a new government platform for youth development. Named as ‘Mera Yuva Bharat’ or MY Bharat, the platform is aimed at developing leadership skills among youth to make them social innovators and leaders in the communities.
The Union Cabinet approved the establishment of an autonomous agency, ‘Mera Yuva Bharat’ (MY Bharat), today, Wednesday, October 11, to function as an overall enabling structure to enable youth-led development, according to Union Minister Anurag Thakur.that on October 31, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s birth anniversary, the body will be dedicated to the country.
Mera Yuva Bharat Scheme
Briefing reporters on the Union Cabinet decisions taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Thakur stated that the main goal of Mera Yuva Bharat is to make it a “whole of government” platform for youth development.With access to resources and connections to opportunities, youngsters would become community change agents and nation builders under the new setup, allowing them to function as the ‘Yuva Setu’ between the government and citizens.
Union Minister Anurag Thakur told reporters after the Cabinet meeting that MY Bharat will be an autonomous body, which will act as an overarching enabling mechanism powered by technology for youth development and youth-led development. It will also provide “equitable access to youth” to realise their aspirations. “The body will be dedicated to the nation on October 31, the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel,” Mr. Thakur said.
About Mera Yuva Bharat:
- It is an autonomous body will benefit the youth in the age group of 15-29 years, in line with the definition of ‘Youth’ in the National Youth Policy.
- In case of programme components specifically meant for the adolescents, the beneficiaries will be in the age group of 10-19 years.
- It will help in Setting the focus of the Government on Youth Led development and to make the Youth “active drivers” of development and not merely “passive recipients”.
- It will be launched on 31st October, 2023 on National Unity Day.
Mera Yuva Bharat Scheme Objectives
- The primary objective of Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat) is to make it a whole of Government platform for youth development.
- Under the new arrangement, with access to resources & connection to opportunities, youth would become community change agents and nation builders allowing them to act as the Yuva Setu between the Government and the citizens.
- It seeks to harness the immense youth energy for nation building.
- Mera Yuva Bharat supported by a technology platform would help to increase the Youth outreach efforts of the Department of Youth Affairs.
Highlights of MY Bharat:
Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat), an autonomous body will benefit the youth in the age group of 15-29 years, in line with the definition of ‘Youth’ in the National Youth Policy. In the case of programme components specifically meant for adolescents, the beneficiaries will be in the age group of 10-19 years.
The establishment of Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat) would lead to:
- Leadership Development in the Youth:
- Improve the leadership skills through experiential learning by shifting from isolated physical interaction to programmatic skills.
- Investing more in youth to make them social innovators, leaders in the communities.
- Setting the focus of the Government on Youth Led development and to make the Youth “active drivers” of development and not merely “passive recipients”.
- Better alignment between youth aspirations and community needs.
- Enhanced efficiency through Convergence of existing programmes.
- Act as a one stop shop for young people and Ministries.
- Create a centralized youth data base.
- Improved two-way communication to connect youth government initiatives and activities of other stakeholder that engage with youth.
- Ensuring accessibility b creating a physical ecosystem.