 YOUTH WELFARE, NATIONAL
 INTEGRATION, SPORTS AND GAMES
 AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

In the fields of Youth Welfare, National Integration, Sports and Games and Physical Education, the Union Ministry pursued the following programmes during the year under report;

(1) Programmes meant for student and non-student youth and cooperation on an international level in matters affecting youth welfare.

(2) National Integration Programmes like inter-State camps for school children, and National Integration Samities in universities and colleges.

(3) Sports and Games for which financial assistance is given to the Institute of Sports, Patiala, the Lakshmibai College of Physical Education, Gwalior, National Sports Federations, State Sports Councils, and development programmes in the field, 'like Rural Sports Tournaments, Coaching Camps, Provision of Sports Facilities and Sports Talent Scholarships.

(4) Physical education which includes the activities of Lakshmibai National College of Physical Education, Gwalior, National Physical Efficiency Drive, and the Promotion of Yoga.

(5) Other programmes such as mountaineering, hiking, scouting and guiding.

A brief account of the activities under these programmes carried out during the year is given in this Chapter.

Youth Welfare

The National Service Scheme

In tune with the National Policy Resolution on Education and in order to make the education of college students more complete and meaningful, the Ministry of Education and Social Welfare has been operating the National Service Scheme which involves students in constructive and socially useful activities. During the Fifth Plan, the emphasis in the activities under this scheme is on special camping programmes during the vacations, which are sought to integrate national service with curricula studies of as many disciplines as possible, including on-the job training.

The tempo of the National Service Scheme has been continued to be maintained despite financial constraints, by increasing progressively the student coverage. The programme has been extended to such of the States and Union Territories which were not participating in the scheme during the Fourth Plan. The target of student coverage for 1974-75, allocated to different States has been kept at 2,00,000. The control mechanisms of the scheme have been streamlined and effective steps have also been taken towards the qualitative improvement of the activities.

The proposal for integrating National Service with the curriculum of studies was pursued with the University Grants Commission. The University Grants Commission has accordingly recommended that the National Service Scheme, should be progressively extended to cover all the students at the first degree course level on a compulsory basis. It has also recommended that the Universities may consider integration of National Service in as many disciplines as possible.

The usefulness of the/ "Youth Against Famine" campaign launched during 1973, as part of the National Service Scheme, having been appreciated, a Special Camping Programme "Youth Against Dirt and Disease" was launched during 1974. A Central Advisory Committee was set up to evolve proper guidelines and directions for the programme in consultation with Youth Organisations. Unlike the Youth Against Famine Programme, camps under the Youth Against Dirt and Disease campaign were organised in different parts of the country by various Universities and colleges not only during the summer vacation, but also during other vacations in the year. Grants totalling about Rs. 43 lakhs were sanctioned to various State Governments and Union Terri- tories, which, together with the State share of expenditure, could cover about 75,000 students and non-students under the campaign. Under the programme, camps of 10-15 days duration each involving about 25-30 students and teachers were held mainly in rural areas. A few local non-student youth were also added as resource persons 'wherever necessary. The camping programmes concentrate chiefly on

(i) Environmental sanitation;

(ii) Medico-social work, such as mass immunisation against preventable diseases including primary vaccination;

(iii) Provision of portable water; and

(iv) Popularisation and construction of Gobar Gas Plants

The Special Camping Programme during vacations has been made a regular part and feature of the National Service Scheme.

To establish rapport and liaison at the State and University level and to implement speedily the various youth programmes general and the National Service Scheme in particular, 4 NSS Zonal Centres have been functioning at Ahmedabad, Calcutta, Chandigarh and Madras, and 11 Regional Centres at Bangalore, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Delhi, Gauhati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Patna, Poona and Trivandrum.. The functioning of these Centres has been further streamlined with a view to making them more effective in the tasks assigned to them.

Planning Forums Scheme

The scheme for financial assistance to the registered Planning Forums in Universities and College through the State Governments has been continued. The Planning Forums aim to create an awareness of the need for planned development of the country, both among the student and non-student community and involve them in national development effort right from the planning stage, through activities like Plan Information Centres, Exhibition, talks, debates and discussions, socioeconomic surveys etc.

Nanak Bhavans

The construction work on a few of the Nanak Bhavan, grants for which were sanctioned in earlier years, was continued during the year. The budget provision of Rs. 3 lakhs for 1974-75, towards Centre's share of balance contribution to State Governments for Nanak Bhavans, could not be utilised fully due to financial stringency. Suitable provision has been made in the Non-Plan budget for 1975-76 for this purpose.

Youth Welfare Boards and Committees

Under this scheme, financial assistance is given to cover 50% of the administrative expenditure incurred by Universities on the employment of a whole-time Director or Dean of Student Welfare, and a small complement of staff to assist him, besides miscellaneous contingent expenditure on certain approved items. For the present, a Non-Plan budget provision is proposed to be made during 1975-76 to meet the committed expenditure.

Programme for Non-Student Youth

Of the schemes included in the National Non-Student Youth Programme, two relating to development of Play-fields and estab- lishment of Work-Centres, were started in 1971-72. Two more schemes viz., the Establishment of Youth Centres at District level and financial assistance for Training of Youth Leaders launched in 1972-73 were continued.

(a) Play-fields in District

The idea is to provide facilities for large groups of people to partake in healthy open air activities by developing and maintaining open spaces in towns. Under the scheme for the development of play- fields, Central financial assistance is given to State Governments/Union Territory Administrations, for developing play- fields in urban areas at Rs. 50,000/- per district, to cover approximately 50% of the cost of developing play-fields in the district

(b) Work Centres

The basic objective of the Work Centre is to train out-of school youth with potential for self-employment in various occupational skills, and help them to establish themselves in a productive vocation after training in work centres. Central Financial assistance is available to cover 50% of the non-recurring expenditure subject to a maximum of Rs. 1.00 lakh for Work Centre Project for State, and 50% of the recurring expenditure Subject to a maximum of Rs. 6,000/- per year per project. A grant of Rs. 1 lakh was sanctioned in 1972-73 to the Calcutta Youth Self Employment Centre (CYSEC), a voluntary organisation sponsored by representatives of social service organisations and financial institutions, which has undertaken a number of projects offering facilities for self employment to unemployed youth. A grant of Rs. 57,600/ has been sanctioned to A & N Islands for the establishment of a work centre at Port Blair, during the year 1974-75.

Nehru Yuvak Kendras

The scheme of Nehru Yuvak Kendras envisages establishment of Youth Centres at District Headquarters other than metropolitan towns, designed to provide a forum at the distinct and Block levels for the involvement of Non-student youth in the main stream of the nation building process.

The main scheme was to provide through the Nehru Yuvak Kendras, for non-student youth, a programme of

(a) non-formal education for all categories of youth in the age group 15-25, youth participation in the removal of illiteracy, adult education programmes, establishment of Science Museums and library service; technical and vocational training, etc.

(b) Popularisation of nationally accepted objectives among the youth such as pride in Indianness, self- reliance, socialism, secularism, democracy, national integration, scientific out-look etc.,

(d) cultural activities through participation in performing arts, community singing, theatre and activities conducive to the promotion of national integration', and

(e) programmes of social and community service involv- ing students as well as non-student youths.

Started on November 14, 1972, 83 Kendras have so far been established under this scheme and 11 more have been sanctioned for the year. 16 more Kendras are proposed to be sanctioned for 1974-75.

There is a Plan provision of Rs. 600 lakhs for Nehru Yuvak Kendras during the Fifth Plan period. During the current financial year, there is the sanctioned budget of Rs. 64.29 lakhs out of which Rs. 34.29 lakhs is under Plan and Rs. 30 lakhs under non-Plan.

During the year under report, a sum of Rs. 1,05,472/- has been sanctioned for the training of Youth Leaders at various institutions under the aegis of Nehru Yuvak Kendras. Some of the training programmes sanctioned during the year 1974-75 will continue during the next financial year i.e., 1975-76. 670 Youth Leaders have received training during the year under report.

National Integration

Camps are conducted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training and other Voluntary bodies to provide opportunities for the exchange of young students at their impres- sionable age from one part of the country to another. Participants from schools from 4 or 5 different States stay in a school in a 6th State for a period of 10 to 15 days where they stay, live, play together and discover their common bonds. A new programme under this scheme has been initiated during 1974-75 under which the NCERT will organize teachers camps each com-

prising 100 teachers with a view to promoting national integration in educational institutions. The teachers will be drawn from different sections, regions, and linguistic groups and they will camp together for a period of 15 days. Two such camps have already been sanctioned so far to cover 200 teachers

National Integration Samities

The National Integration Samities established in Universities and colleges continued their programmes for the promotion of national integration during the period under report. There are 60 Samities functioning in Universities, 57 in affiliated colleges and 3 in Public undertakings. The Samities have been carrying out the programmes as indicated in its Constitution. Some of them have been functioning, with considerable success and have taken up meaningful programmes.

All the activities are valuable in themselves. However, there is much scope for strengthening the programme of these Samities so that they develop into strong youth cadres which will be able to play a positive role in promoting fratern I feelings and in resisting the expression of communalism, casteism, and regionalism. In addition to enlarging the Samiti's Programmes to cover more universities and colleges and enlarging their membership so as to cover a large section of the student community, it is necessary to augment their programmes so that they may achieve this objective.

Sports & Games

The Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports, Patiala was established by the Government of India in the year 1961 with the primary object of producing qualified coaches in various games and sports. By the end of 1973-74, the Institute had produced 2528 coaches in 13 different sports and games. 321 students are undergoing training during the 1974-75 academic session. Admission of trainees during the current year was raised from the earlier limit of 250 per session to 321, to cope with the increased demand for trained coaches. Those undergoing training in the current course include 12 international players, and a large number of National players. Five trainees from Bangladesh are also undergoing training.

The Institute organised three orientation courses of six weeks each during the summer vacation 1974, at Patiala, Delhi and Bangalore, and was attended by 431 Physical Education Teachers.

Coaching camps were organised by the Institute for the

National teams, prior to their participation in important inter- national events. The teams trained include, the Women's Hockey team for the first World Cup tournament, the Youth Football team for the Asian Youth Championships and the various teams for the Asian Games 1974. As a result of rigorous training provided under ideal conditions, and under expert coaches, the teams trained by the Institute gave a good account of themselves, in the respective tournaments. The Women's Hockey team secured the Fourth position in the World Tournament, the Indian Youth Football team were the co- winners with Iran, and Indian teams which participated in the Asian Games 1974 bagged 28 medals.

The Institute received foreign coaches in art Gymnastics from GDR; Table Tennis coaches from North Korea; a Swimming coach from West Germany; and a Weightlifting coach from USSR. These coaches conducted clinics for in-service coaches, and organised coaching camps in the respective games for the benefit of junior and senior players. Four coaches of the NIS are on coaching assignments in Nigeria, Nepal and Mauritius.

In collaboration with UNESCO and the Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, the institute organized in October, 1974, an International Symposium on Exercise and Sports Physiology. 100 delegates including 35 foreign delegates attended this Symposium. In its publication programme, the Institute issued regularly the NIS Journal, Sports Medicine Journal, Athletic Asia, and Asia International. A revised and large edition of the playing field manual is under print. The Hindi edition of this book has already been published. The swimming pool under construction at the Institute is likely to be completed shortly. A Gymnasium is also being constructed and is expected to be completed during the next year.

All India Council of Sports

The All India Council of Sports, reconstituted in April, 1972 continued to-function during 1974-75, to advise the Ministry on all matters pertaining to the promotion and development of Sports and Games in the country. The Council held 4 meetings in April, August, November and December,1974.

Grants to State Sports Councils

The scheme of financial assistance to State Sports Councils to enable them to construct utility stadia, swimming pools, floodlighting of stadia, coaching camps, purchase of sports equipment

and establishment of Rural Sports Centres was continued during 1974- 75. Grants totalling Rs. 8.23 lakhs were sanctioned by the end of 1974.

Rural Sports Centres

The scheme of establishment of Rural Sports Centres was continued during 1974-75. So far grants for the establishment of 641 centres have been given.

Sports Talent Search Scholarships for School Students

225 scholarships at the National level, and 550 scholarships at the State level of the value of Rs. 600/- per annum and Rs. 300 per annum respectively have been awarded. Besides, 100 National level scholarships and 180 State level scholarships awarded during the preceding year were renewed.

Grants to National Sports Federations

During the year 1974-75, grants totalling Rs. 6.97 lakhs (Plan), 1.65 lakhs (Non-Plan), have been sanctioned to various National Sports Federations for holding annual championships, participation in international sports competitions, visits of foreign teams to India, and payment of salaries of paid Assistant Secretaries, holding coaching camps and purchase of sports equipment.

India's Participation in International Sports Events

(i) VII Asian Games 1974 : The VII Asian Games were held at Tehran from 1st to 16th September, 1974. A contingent of 159 members (Competitors, Managers, Coaches and contingent officials) participated in the Games. The Indian sportsmen won 4 Gold Medals, 12 Silver Medals and 12 Bronze Medals. India secured the 7th position in the final medal tally amongst the participating countries, after Japan, Iran, China, South Korea, North Korea and Israel.

YOUTH WELFARE, NATIONAL INTEGRATION, SPORTS AND GAMES AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION