NYC takes up youth issues with CM

The Nationalist Youth Congress (NYC) has demanded that the state government set up a state youth commission, a youth development corporation and provide economic support for young entrepreneurs among other facilities.

The demands were presented to chief minister Digambar Kamat through a memorandum by NYC state president Rajan Ghate in the presence of national president Rajeev Kumar Jha on Monday.

The youth commission, the NYC says, must be constituted with the power to formulate policies and welfare schemes for the overall development of youth across the state. 'The commission shall be empowered to safeguard the constitutional rights of youth especially the equality of opportunities,' the memorandum stated.

The NYC also said that a state youth development corporation can be formed with a corpus fund to finance the development activities for youth. 'The fund may be raised with government and private collaborations. Corporate sector will be encouraged to give voluntary contributions to this corporation,' the memorandum stated.

The NYC has demanded that the government should ensure at least one government job in a family irrespective of caste and creed. 'Government should forthwith abolish the contractual recruitment policy and offer regular employment to youth through the employment exchange office so that all vacancies are notified and recruited through the employment exchange,' states the memorandum.

The NYC has also demanded economic support for young entrepreneurs. 'To eradicate unemployment, adequate financial support in the form of soft loans may be provided to young entrepreneurs, based on their educational and technical qualifications,' the memorandum states.

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Youngsters can have a say in new youth policy

The state government has invited suggestions from young people to draft the state’s youth policy.

The suggestions, which might be included in the policy, should be sent through emails or they should be faxed to the sports and youth affairs section before June 7.

The policy based on the 2003 National Youth Policy is meant for the age group of 13 to 35 years, which comprises almost 40 per cent of the state’s population. Focus will be on issues like employment, education counselling, youth commission formation, among others.

“We have formed a committee of 50 people from different backgrounds who will be involved in forming the policy. But it is only after we get suggestions from the youth and youth-based NGOs on the aspects that are to be included in the policy that we can go ahead with it,” said N.B. Mote, deputy director of sports and youth affairs.

Along with the suggestions, there are public meetings planned for the youth to participate in and give their views.

The draft policy also proposes formation of district youth development centres to function like a single-window information system on employment opportunities, various career-oriented courses, health facilities and others.

It also puts a special focus on gender, tribal youth, dropouts and handicapped youth.

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Bihar boy's story of rags to radio star

The rollercoaster ride to success of an illiterate Bihar youth, who launched a radio station and promoted social messages on polio, AIDS and other issues but was arrested for illegally running it, has found place in school textbooks.

The story of Raghav, in his mid-20s, and his 'Raghav Radio' has been published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) in its book Bharat Mein Samajik Parivartan Evam Vikas(Social change and development in India) for Class 12.

The book describes Raghav as a role model for development in society. It highlights his struggle and the difficulties he faced after starting 'Raghav Radio' in Mansoorpur village in Vaishali district.

Raghav, who currently works as the project head of a community radio station in Rajasthan's Ajmer district, told IANS over the phone that his "story in the NCERT book will inspire people, particularly the youths, to make a difference in society".

The book mentions Raghav as being born in a family of agricultural labourers who were too poor to provide him with education.

It was in 2004 that Raghav, who had an electronics repair shop at Gudri Bazar near Mansoorpur and loved to tinker with old equipment, stumbled upon the innovative idea of launching a radio station.

With the old tools and gadgets that he had stored over the years, he launched his radio station that very soon became a hit with the villagers.

The station operated like a community radio service in Muzaffarpur, Vaishali and Saran districts, providing local news and views in the local dialect.

Apart from Hindi songs and news, it provided information about crime in the area, programmes on AIDS awareness, polio eradication, literacy initiatives and news about missing people as well as on local functions and festivals. And all that free of cost.

The media highlighted his story and he became very popular. The union communications ministry took notice too -- but that was to be his undoing.

In 2006, the ministry sought a report on the legality of the private radio station. Raghav did not possess an operating licence as he was too poor to pay the licence fee and too naive to understand that it was illegal.

'Raghav Radio' closed down. The district authorities said it was closed for violating the Indian Telegraphs Act.

The government held him an offender and arrested him for a brief period but for people residing in and around Mansoorpur village, he was a hero.

Later, many NGOs came forward to help him and gave him vocational training.

Impressed by his talent and struggle, the Barefoot College at Tilonia in Rajasthan, run by Bunker Roy, appointed him the head of Barefoot Community Radio Station, the first of its kind in Rajasthan.

The radio service caters to the educational, development and socio-cultural needs of the local community in a radius of six to 10 kilometres through indigenously created broadcast programming.

From an ordinary illiterate youth to becoming someone who has the ability to inspire people through his simple deeds, Raghav has indeed come a long way. And the mission to inform and educate continues.

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