YOUTH SERVICES, PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORTS AND GAMES.
In the proximate fields of youth services, physical education and sports and games, the Ministry continued to follow their programmes. These fall broadly under the following groups :
(i) Participation of youth-student and, non- student in national and social services;
(ii) Youth participation in National Integration;
(iii) Promotion of sports and games in the country;
(iv) Promotion of physical education and physical efficiency for all; and
(v) Other schemes including the promotion of the spirit of adventure.
A brief account of the activities for the year follows.
A : YOUTH SERVICES National Service Scheme.-To promote consciousness, responsibility and a sense of dignity of labour and discipline among college students, the National Service Scheme was initiated in 1969. Operated on a voluntary and selective basis, it has made steady progress during the years. Under it the enrolled students utilise their available time during a two-year period on social service and national developmental activities and thereby get an opportunity to become aware of the problems of society and to acquaint themselves with the requisite knowledge and skills to solve them.
The target of coverage for 1976-77 was 2.5 lakh students with 50 per cent participation in special camps, while the actual participation was about 2.78 lakh students during the year, The
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coverage by the end of the Fifth Plan is aimed at four lakh, while it has been decided to introduce the scheme to cover also plus two stage of the new school system.
Large-scale special camping programmes of 10-12 days' duration during vacations are organised under NSS to meet some aspects of rural needs and promote students' involvement in constructive work. Held in selected villages or urban slums adopted by each NSS Unit, camps enable concerted action on specified projects to create tangible community assets. The activities in the camps are preceded and followed up during term-time. The camps organised in earlier years were on themes like 'Youth against Famine', 'Youth against Dirt and Disease' and 'Youth for Afforestation. and Tree Plantation', while the theme of the camps for the year was 'Youth for Rural Reconstruction' with an estimated participation of over 1.25 lakh students.
Emphasis from 1976-77 would be on programmes of rural reconstruction, aimed, at improving the conditions of life of economically and socially weaker sections of the community. The broad areas and activities would cover : (i) Land Reforms, comprising items like, survey, monitoring and evaluation of land reform. identification and demarcation of village common and forest, lands, explaining and teaching improved agricultural practices, relief to the erstwhile bonded workers, legal aid and house-sites or the scheduled castes/tribe people ; (ii) Non-Formal' Education and Recreation, comprising educational survey for literacy. literacy programmes, eradication of dowry and other social evils, rural libraries, indigenous sports, etc.; (iii) Better Environment, comprising environmental sanitation, construction of reads, streets and drains, drinking water-supply, etc.; (iv) Afforestation and Tree Plantation, comprising soil conservation schemes, tree plantation, weed control and the like; (v) Economic Development, comprising cooperative societies, soil-testing and soil-health care, and repairs of agricultural machinery; and (vi) Family and Child-Care Programmes.
During the year, orientation programmes for NSS teachers and other key personnel were further strengthened. The course
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content, methodology and course duration for college NSS teachers were revised, while the key personnel for NSS were identified and for the first time an orientation programme for them was organised in February, 1977 at the National Staff College for Educational Planners & Administrators, New Delhi.
A programme for publishing brochures on various NSS programmes was also taken in hand.
National Service Volunteer Scheme.-It has been decided to launch a new scheme to be called 'National Service Volunteer Scheme', as an extension of National Service Scheme, from 1977-78. Under it, such students as desire to render social service after their graduation on a full-time basis will be enabled to do so, after a carefully planned, training in programmes of national importance that may be organised by any Ministry of the Central Government, autonomous organisations or voluntary agencies. The programmes will include :
(i) Assistance to weaker sections of the community in legal rights,
(ii) Promotion of family planning, and vaccination and formation of squads against malaria, TB, etc.,
(iii) Non-formal education and adult literacy,
(iv) Organisation of preschool programmes for children,
(v) Promotion of physical education, rural sports and recreational activities,
(vi) Organisation of co-operative societies, youth clubs, etc., and
(vii) Other specialised jobs according to the educational background of the volunteers.
Each volunteer will get a stipend of Rs. 175 per month plus expenditure involved on travel and contingencies. To start with 500 volunteers are likely to be deployed under the scheme.
Planning Forums.-Planning Forums are functioning in universities and colleges to develop conciousness regarding planned
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development of the country among the educated youth and through them among the general public.
A number of steps were taken during the year to activate the forums and make them more effective. The scheme was revised, financial provisions liberalised and the State Governments and universities requested to make it more vigorous.
A significant step in this direction was the holding of a Nation- al Conference of Planning Forums in New Delhi on December 10-11, 1976. About 200 persons representing the concerned Central Government departments, the State Governments, universities and the active planning forums participated in it that reviewed the progress during the last two years and discussed the role of planning forums in the developmental activities. The Conference recommended a number of measures for future implementation. Seven universities/institutions were sanctioned grants totalling over Rs. 70,000 during the year for holding seminars/ conferences on various aspects of economic development.
Nehru Yuvak Kendras.-The non-student youth government made significant strides through the Nehru Yuvak Kendras during the year under report. The programmes of non-formal education, vocational training, sports, games and physical education. social and community service and cultural activities constitute the core element in the activities of the kendras. On an average Rs. 20,000 are utilised annually by a kendra on the core programmes. During the year an additional amount of Rs. 10,000 was sanctioned to all but the newly established kendras not only to continue their on-going activities but also to undertake additional programmes.
On an average, 28,000 adults were enrolled by the kendras in their literacy classes and campaigns per month. The vocational training was organised in selected fields. viz., tailoring knitting, embroidery, doll-making, radio-repairing, soap-making, pumpset- repairing, tractor-repairing, bicycle-repairing, plastic and cane- knitting, carpentry, and agricultural training comprising poultry and bee-keeping. About 14,000 youths were trained in these skills on an average per month.
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In the field of sports, games and physical education, the kendras were able to mobilise nearly 48,000 rural youths in their programmes per month on an average. The number of youths mobilised through the cultural activities of the kendars, particularly folk-songs, rural theatre, etc. was of the order of 19,000 per month. The kendras continued to play the role of a major link between the youth and other sections of society through their programmes of social and community service, viz., cleanliness drivers family planning campaigns, rep air of roads. levelling of playfields, construction of soakage pits and eradication of social evils such as dowry, cateism, bonded labour, etc. On an average, nearly 26,000 persons were involved per month in these programmes. Efforts were made to create an awareness among the rural youths about the nationality accepted objectives such as pride in Indianess, self-reliance, secularism, socialism, democracy national integration and inculcation of a scientific outlook.
Steps were taken to strengthen and consolidate the programmes of the kendras. A proposal to establish a suitable organisational structure to supervise the expanding activities of the kendras has been under consideration.
Four-week training-cum-orientation courses were especially organised during the period between November 1976 and January 1977 for youth coordinators of the kendras at three different centres, viz., Sewa Mandir, Udaipur (Rajasthan), Gramsewak Training Centre, Ramakrishna Mission Ashram, Narendrapur (West Bengal) and Rural Institute of Higher Education, Gandhigram (Tamilnadu). The training programmes were designed to expose youth coordinators to various field situations and to inspire in them a sense of commitment and involvement in national development. The endeavour was to develop in them concerns for weaker sections of society. The feed back indicates that the programmes generated a new enthusiasm among youth coordinators for undertaking new and higher responsibilities.
130 kendras were functioning during the year as against 235 sanctioned in the various States and Union Territories. The
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remaining will start functioning as soon as the selection of youth coordinators is completed. The number of kendras sanctioned during 1976-77 was 50.
Nanak Bhavans.-The setting up of six student service institutes called Nanak Bhavans was sanctioned for Gujarat, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamilnadu as part of the 500th birth anniversary celebration of Guru Nanak. The scheme aims at inculcating a spirit of self-help and self-reliance among students, using their spare time for activities useful to the nation, bringing the academic community to the service of the non-student community and encouraging and organising sports and literary activities.
The construction of the Bhavans was almost completed in Rajasthan, Orissa, Maharashtra and Tamilnadu. A number of activities laid down have been launched. The State Governments of Gujarat and Karnataka have acquired plots of land for the construction of Nanak Bhavans.
Training of Youth Leaders.-The scheme was broad-based and liberalised during the year. The objective of this scheme is to train the youth who can act as extension agents in rural reconstruction activities without having to leave their milieu. The agencies identified to organise these programmes are : State Governments and Union Territory Administrations, educational institutions, Nehru Yuvak Kendras, and registered voluntary organisations. These agencies will be responsible for the selection of trainees and for providing residential facilities for them. The pattern of financial assistance under the revised scheme is as follows :
(a) Rs. 8 per diem for each trainee during the period of training;
(b) Actual expenditure on travel, subject to a maximum of Rs. 50 per trainee ; and
(c) Reimbursement to training institution covering contingency expenditure up to 25 per cent of the total amount incurred for board and lodging of the trainees,
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During the year, about 5000 youths were trained under this scheme and about Rs. 6 lakh were spent.
Work Centres.-During the year, the scheme was revised to liberalise the terms and conditions and to specify the objectives more clearly. The basic objective of the scheme of work centres is to organise programmes having educational and training component through which the youths could acquire training in skills to ensure self- employment, get full-time employment, subsidiary occupation or improvement of their functional capabilities. The State Governments and Union Territory Administrations and registered voluntary organisations working in this field are eligible for central assistance under it. The projects are intended primarily for rural youths not attending schools on a full-time basis or have not gone beyond secondary stage. Under the revised scheme, the State Government/Union Territory Administration can be given financial assistance on 50 : 50 basis subject to a maximum of Rs. 1 lakh per project. The voluntary organisations, however, can be extended financial assistance tip to 75 per cent of the total estimated project cost and in specially deserving cases up to 90 per cent of such cost subject to a maximum of Rs. 1 lakh per project.
During 1976-77, one project of work centre proposed by a voluntary Organisation, namely, Social Welfare Research Centre, Tilonia, was approved and the Centre's share of Rs. 40,240 was placed at the disposal of the Government of Rajasthan for disbursement. There are three continuing projects, one at Calcutta, second at Port Blair and the third in Punjab set up under this scheme.
B. PROMOTION OF NATIONAL INTEGRATION Camps for School Children.---:The scheme aims at Inculcating a feeling of national oneness among school children. Under it camps of 10-15 days' duration are held 75 students and 15 teachers from five different States live together in a camp in
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one of these States. Organised through the National Council of Educational Research and Training, these camps help create an awareness of the composite Indian culture with the underlying spirit of 'Unity in Diversity', and develop an understanding of the inter- dependence of the different parts of the country and their contribution to national development. 10 such camps were organised during the year.
Camps for School Teachers.-Introduced in 1974-75, this scheme comprises holding national integration camps for about a week exclusively for about 100 primary and secondary school teachers. These camps have multiplier effect in promoting the idea of national integration among youth students. One such teacher camp was organised through NCERT during the year.
National Integration Samitis.-Financial assistance was continued during the year to selected universities and colleges for activities of their National Integration Samitis. The Samitis were set tip to familarise students and teachers with the diverse perspective of our composite culture and civilisation and undertake all such activities as directly promote the came of national integration.
About 130 such samitis were functioning during the year; some, with considerable success, took up quite a few meaningful programmes; some organised discussions and seminars on the welfare programmes, besides their regular activities.
A committee was set up to review the working of these samitis is and suggest measures to make their programmes/activities more meaningful. The Review Committee submitted its report and the recommendations were under consideration.
C. PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND EFFICIENCY National Physical Efficiency Drive.-The scheme was introduced by the Central Government in 1959 to popularise among the people the concept of physical fitness and 'arouse their enthusiasm for higher standards of physical efficiency. It is implemented in collaboration with the State Governments, Union Territory Administrations and certain selected central agencies.
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The 1975-76 Drive bad reached an all-time record participation of about 16.5 lakh. The 1976-77 Drive was launched in different States and Union Territories during the period from October 1976 to January, 1977.
The XVI All India Competition for the National Awards in Physical Efficiency was held at the Lakshmibai National College of Physical Education, Gwalior, on 28th February and 1st March 1977. 132 competitors, both men and women, from different States and Union Territories participated in the Competition. 20 persons, including 10 women, won the National Awards.
Promotion of Popular Literature on Physical Education, Sports and Games etc.-The Sixth National Prize Competition for the Published Literature on Physical Education and Sports (1975-76) was organised through the Lakshmibai National College of Physical Education, Gwalior. Five books were selected for a National Prize of Rs. 1000 each.
The Seventh National Prize Competition for 1976-77 has also been organised and five books have been selected for a National Prize of Rs. 1000 each.
Bharatiyam-Mass Youth Rallies.-The scheme of Bharatiyam covering a 3-year cycle from 1977-78 to 1979-80, envisages organising mass youth rallies simultaneously all over the country at district/state/national level, in successive years, involving in all about 4 lakh youth in these rallies. The object of the scheme, to be implemented in collaboration with the State Governments, is to channelise the energy of the youth into purposeful and constructive directions and instil in them the importance of organised movement and disciplined behaviour. It is at present under consideration in consultation with the State Governments/Union Territory Administrations.
Promotion of Yoga.-The Kaivalayadham Shreeman Madhav Yoga, Mandir Samit, Lonavla (poona) and the Vishwayathan
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Yoga Ashram, New Delhi and Katra Vaishnav Devi centres, continued to be assisted for their maintenance as well as their development as per the approved pattern of the scheme to assist the yogic institutions of all-India character for promotion of research and/or teacher training programmes.
The Society for the National Institutes of Physical Education and Sports (SNIPES) set up a Yoga Assessment Committee to review the existing programme of, the Ministry of Education and Social Welfare for promotion of yoga and suggest ways and means to make it more broad-based.