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.
PTI reports that on October 31, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's birth anniversary, the body will be dedicated to the country.
It will give youngsters equitable access to actualise their dreams and build a developed India by utilising their energies, he said.
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.
The minister stated that it aims to harness the vast energy of youth for nation-building and that it will contribute to youth-led development through 'Kartavya Bodh' (feeling of responsibility) and 'Seva Bodh' (sense of service) during the "Amrit Kaal”.
According to him, the platform will benefit youngsters aged 15 to 29, in accordance with the concept of 'youngsters' in the National Youth Policy, and will facilitate their voluntary involvement in various government activities.
This age group accounts for 27 per cent of India's population, and he believes that this platform will aid in the integration of many youth-related initiatives managed by the Youth Programme Department and other ministries.
To make India strong and powerful, it is vital to instil in the youth a spirit of service and a feeling of duty, as well as to include the country's philosophy and history in their thinking to ensure they have the zeal to make India self-sufficient, according to the minister.
To attain these goals, he believes that diverse youth-related schemes and programmes must be administered in a concentrated manner and that youth-related schemes and programmes must be placed under an integrated digital platform.
This will ensure compatibility between youth goals and community needs, Thakur said, adding that the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 goal of voluntary community participation will also be met.
Thakur stated that transitioning from isolated physical engagement to programmatic skills and investing more in youngsters to make them social innovators and community leaders, will bolster the leadership skills of the youth.
Setting the focus of the government on youth-led development, the programme aims to make them "active drivers" of development and not merely "passive recipients", he said.