After passing the Women's Reservation Bill, a constituency that the Modi government has been wooing with a slew of measures, it is now the turn of another bloc of voters–the youth. The Union cabinet has approved the setting up of an autonomous organisation, Mera Yuva Bharat, (MY Bharat) to serve as a one-stop body for the youth.
The body will cater to those between the ages of 15 to 29—a group that includes first-time voters and those who backed the Modi government in the previous two elections. There are 40 crore people in this age bracket. This segment of voters has the potential to sway the elections in the BJP's favour, and the Modi government aims to have a constant engagement with them through this project.
The primary objective of MY Bharat is to be the government's platform for youth development. “Under the new arrangement, with access to resources and connection to opportunities, youth would become community change agents and nation builders, allowing them to act as the yuva setu between the government and the citizens. It seeks to harness the immense youth energy for nation-building,” the cabinet statement said.
The MY Bharat will benefit those in the age group of 15-29 years, in line with the definition of ‘Youth’ in the National Youth Policy. In cases of programme components specifically meant for adolescents, the beneficiaries will be in the age group of 10-19 years.
MY Bharat also aims to develop leadership through “experiential learning by shifting from isolated physical interaction to programmatic skills.” It also aspires to make youth social innovators and community leaders, making them “active drivers” of development and not merely “passive recipients”.
The body will create a centralized youth database. This will be used for two-way communication to connect youth with government initiatives and activities of other stakeholders who engage with youth.
