Empowerment, employment and engagement key components: Lanong
By Our Reporter
Shillong: The State Youth policy has been finalised and is likely to be tabled before the Cabinet for approval by this month, said Deputy Chief Minister BM Lanong.
The policy, drafted by the State Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs, intends to cover all youths in the State within the age bracket of 13 to 30 years.
Lanong said the department received a number of suggestions from various stakeholders including NGOs, educational institutions, corporate sectors and others.
The Deputy Chief Minister, who is also the incharge of sports and youth affairs, said the policy stresses on empowerment, employment and engagement of youth in various sectors.
Stating that woman comes under the category of the youth, Lanong said this policy is formulated keeping in mind the interest of the fairer sex.
“We have incorporated everything in this policy from education to arts and culture,” he said adding that enough attention has been given to every aspect of youth.
The policy will be implemented once it gets the Cabinet approval.
Meanwhile, speaking to The Shillong Times, Principal of St Edmund’s College Dr S Lamare said the government should make the draft youth policy public.
The KSU’s NEHU Unit chief Robert Kharjahrin has said the policy will be proved helpful if there is transparency in its implementation and equal participation of the youth.
He also questioned the age classification mentioned in the draft saying that the classification is not practical in the state adding that the government should give more attention to the age group between 13-19 years.
