SHILLONG, July 19: In a major move that aims to achieve the two-fold target of holistic development of over 30% of the state’s population between the age group of 15-29 years and the government’s vision to transform Meghalaya to be amongst the top ten states in 10 years in per capita Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) rankings, the State Cabinet on Monday the Meghalaya Youth Policy, 2021.
The policy will be notified by the government soon. Drafted by the Sports and Youth Affairs Department, the policy aims to address major issues and concerns of the youth based on nine identified thrust areas that includes education, health & wellbeing, counselling & mentoring, employment skill development & entrepreneurship, sports, cultural & creative industries, engagement & leadership, inclusion and environmental consciousness.
Talking to reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister, Conrad K. Sangma said, “It was absolutely necessary that the government comes out with the clear policy on how to enhance the energy of the youth so that they can work constructively for their own future, their family and for the state and the country as a whole.”
He informed that the government has tried to cover different aspects to ensure the overall development of the youth of the State by creating employment opportunities and enhancing their skill.
“We have been working on this policy for a very long time. We had worked on the note given by the IIM. We had spent almost close to ten months to add many more aspects by studying the policies of different states of the country and even some countries across the globe,” Sangma added.
“The policy is action oriented. It has planned implementation of 45 programmes that would be measured by 54 performance monitoring indicators. These performance indicators have been mapped to 10 departments and are planned to measure quarterly, bi-annually and annually,” the chief minister said. (Contd on P-4)
Cabinet clears State Youth Policy…
(Contd from P-1) “Our country is passing through a demographic transition with young populace becoming the dominant segment of the society. Youth constitute a major portion of the society with the enormous potential to contribute to state’s GDP. We are happy to announce Meghalaya’s Youth Policy 2021 that provides a systematic framework for youth engagement and provides equal opportunities to all young men and women for their socio-economic development, and in turn contribute in enhancing the per capita income of the state and in achieving the SDG of the state,” he added.
Sports Minister, Banteidor Lyngdoh said, “Meghalaya Youth Policy 2021 is our endeavour to provide a concrete and progressive framework, that addresses the current issues, challenges and concern of our youth towards their growth and development. We have framed this policy with an objective to provide holistic approach to engaging youth in development activities, in turn channelizing their energy positively. The policy has nine thrust areas which specific programmes under each area.”
The policy includes planned interventions covering lifecycle of a youth in its entirety that includes early childhood interventions implemented through various plans and policies like Early Childhood Education Mission, Meghalaya School Improvement Plan (MSIP), Health upgradation programs like FIT India, sports infrastructure upgradation, setup academies of excellence in the area of arts and culture, and recognition of key achievements in sports, arts and culture.
As per the latest estimates, Meghalaya has a population of around 38.29 lakh, of which over 28.48 lakh (74%) are under the age of 35. While the policy will primary focus on youth aged 15-29 years, critical issues and programmes relating to the age group of 5-14 years will also be emphasized and made part of the overall youth development framework.
