Karnataka cabinet gives nod to Karnataka Youth Policy

The Cabinet on Thursday cleared the new Karnataka Youth Policy that promises interventions in education, training, employment, health and sports programmes for youngsters, besides a dedicated budgetary outlay.

The policy recommends re-organisation of the Youth Empowerment Department and evaluation of programmes meant for the youth. It says that the main intention is to develop youth, who account for 30 per cent of the total population.

Briefing reporters, Law Minister J C Madhuswamy said a decade has passed since the previous policy was adopted in 2012. “New challenges such as technological progress and humanitarian crises like COVID highlighted the need to rethink the state’s approach to youth development. The Karnataka Yuva Policy, 2022 factors these challenges into its approach to supporting youth in the state,” he said.

In a statement, Youth Empowerment & Sports Minister K C Narayan Gowda said: "The new youth policy needs to be aligned with various national and state level policies such as industrial policy, skill development policy, NEP, startup policy and sports policy. Hence the state government has adopted the new policy. The Yuva policy will be in force for a period of eight years until 2030.”

The policy sees youth from two dimensions: as individuals and also as a part of society and therefore focuses on both youth development and youth for development. Therefore the policy claims that it focuses on education and training, jobs, entrepreneurship, health, sports, restructuring youth empowerment and evaluation of the youth programme.

The policy identifies six focus areas — education and training, employment and entrepreneurship, health and well-being, sports and fitness, arts and culture — and recommended an action framework for each of them.

The education section focuses on filling gaps through skill training programmes. It suggests introducing a ‘Yuva’ budget in the annual budget and the formation of a Youth Advisory Group.

On health section the policy suggests on insulating youth from addictions to social media, tobacco, alcohol, and narcotics. The policy recommends restructuring the department and establishing two separate directorates for youth empowerment and sports.

The policy also states the state needs to set up a system to collect data about youth development which will be known as Karnataka Youth Development Index and use the index to monitor and evaluate the progress of youth-focused schemes and programs besides creating a base of evidence for future programs and policies.

Establishing a state-level convergence committee for youth empowerment and a three-level operational review are among other recommendations.