YOUTH WELFARE, NATIONAL INTEGRATION, SPORTS AND GAMES AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION
In the fields of Youth Welfare, National Integration, Sports and Games avoid 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 Samitis 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 fields 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 Services
The National Service Scheme The NSS strength increased from 40,000 in 1969-70 to 1,70,000 in 1974-75. The coverage for 1975-76 has been kept at 2.10 lakhs; this is likely to be achieved. The Scheme is now in operation in all the States/Union Territories except, Sikkim and Lakshadweep and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. Necessary steps have been taken to implement the Scheme in Sikkim and Lakshadweep from the next academic session.
Special Camping Programmes on which emphasis has been laid in the Fifth Plan have now been made a regular feature of NSS. During 1975 a Special Camping Programme entitled
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'Youth Against Dirt and Disease' alongwith 'Youth for Afforestation and Tree Plantation' as an ancillary programme was launched to involve about 80,000 students in such camps. Under the programme, camps of 10-15 days duration were held in rural areas and urban slums. The activities under the Youth Against Dirt and Disease comprised (a) environmental sanitation (b) medico-social work such as mass immunisation against preventable diseases including primary vaccination (c) provision of potable water, and (d) popularisation and construction of gobar gas plants. The emphasis under 'Youth for Afforestation and Tree Plantation' programme was on (i) preservation of soil erosion, (ii) soil conservation works, (iii) plantation of trees, and (iv) preservation and upkeep of trees planted. The cam- paign was publicised through press, radio and television. The programme was conducted with the co-operation extended by the concerned State Government departments, resource persons and the rural community. As per the reports received from States/Universities, about 1800 camps involving about 1 lakh students, non-students and teachers were held in different parts of the country. The NSS Volunteers also participated in the flood-relief work in the States of Bihar, Orissa and Uttar Pradesh.
There has been an enlargement in the activities under NSS. Emphasis is being placed on literacy programmes, discussions and dissemination of information to facilitate the implementation of the 20 point economic programme and encouraging discussions on the need for family planning, the desirability of late marriages and the eradication of social evils like dowry etc. The students are also assisting in the perservation and cleaning of important archaeological monuments.
The participation of girl students in the NSS Programme has increased from about 2800 in 1969-70 to about 30,000 in 1974-75. Their participation will be further stepped up. State level and inter-state camps for girls have been organised at some places.
The University Grants Commission has given its wholehearted support to the promotion of the National Service Scheme. The question of integration of National Service in the University curriculum is being examined in the workshops organised by the University Grants Commission to modernise and up date the syllabi in humanities and social science disciplines.
National Service Volunteers Scheme As an extension of the National Service Scheme, the Ministry of Education proposes to launch the National Service Volunteers Scheme under which volunteers will be recruited on a selective
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and voluntary basis from among the motivated college graduates who have pronounced aptitude for service. On their recruitment the volunteers will spend one year in villages in developmental programmes undertaken by the Central and State Governments and worked out according to local needs and priorities. The volunteers will be required to render service after an orientation training in rural areas on specified programmes, namely; adult education, agricultural extension, community development, health and child care programmes, primary education and other social services. The desirability of implementing the scheme has been agreed to in principle by the Planning Commission.
Among the Central Ministries, the Ministry of Health and Family Planning have finalised a Scheme of multi-purpose health workers which provides for deployment of about 2000 female science graduates for a period of one year in work relating to health and family planning in sub-centres under the Primary health centres. The State Governments have been requested to get a roaster of graduate volunteers prepared and to make it available to the State Health Departments so that their immediate deployment could be taken up. The possibility of implementing the scheme is also being explored with Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation.
In so far as Ministry of Education is concerned, a beginning will be made in 1976-77 with the deployment of about 500 volunteers with Nehru Yuvak Kendras, and non-formal education programmes.
Planning Forums Scheme Action to reactivise these Forums has been initiated. A coor- dination committee consisting of representatives of Ministries of Education and Social Welfare and Information and Broadcasting, Department of Rural Development and Planning Commission has been set up to provide overall guidance in the implementation of the Scheme, which is meant to create an awareness among the youth of the need for the planned development of the country and their involvement in it.
Nanak Bhavans. The construction of Nanka Bhavan in the State of Rajasthan has been completed. In the States of Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamilnadu, Nanak Bhavans are in different stages of construction. The remaining two States, Gujarat and Karnataka are taking necessary action to provide land and start construction. In the meantime the concerned State governments have been requesed to start some of the activities of Nank Bhavans in the nearby University buildings, pending the construction of such
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Bhavans. The aim of these Bhavans is to inculcate a spirit of self- help and self-reliance among the student community.
Youth Welfare Boards & Committees This scheme has now become the responsibility of the Uni- versities. Provision in this regard has been made for meeting the commitments upto 28.2.1975.
Establishment of Work Centres The basic objective of this scheme 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.
Three Work Centre Projects have so far been approved under this scheme; one is being implemented by a voluntary organisation at Calcutta, the second by the Andaman and Nicobar Administration at Port Blair and the third by the Punjab Agriculture University.
Nehru Yuvak Kendras 185 Kendras have so far been sanctioned in various States and Union Territories. 93 of these are, at present, functioning. The remaining are in the final stages of establishment. The number of Kendras sanctioned in 1975-76 is 75. With this, about half of Districts in the country are covered by the programmes of Nehru Yuvak Kendras. It is expected that by the end of the Fifth Plan, the programme will be extended to cover the entire country.
Programmes of non-formal education, vocational training, sports, games and physical education, cultural activities and social service constitute the core element in the activities of the Nehru Yuvak Kendras. On an average, a provision of Rs. 20,000/- per year is utilised by a Kendra in organising these core programmes. Besides the Kendras help in fuller utilisation of funds available under different schemes of the Central and State Governments.
The Kendras have been organising, on a continuing basis, programmes of non-formal education which consist of adult literacy, functional literacy and literacy campaigns. Reading room and library facilities are also provided. Literacy classes for a batch of adults normally continue for a period of 3-6 months and after that fresh batches are enrolled. According to the reports of October-November, 1975 there were 460 adult classes in 79 Kendras with an enrolment of over 14,500 youth.
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Under the programme of vocational training, the Kendras organise, training programmes in selected fields in which opportunities for self employment are, locally available, the more important trades in which the training has been imparted being tailoring, knitting, embroidery, radio repair, soap making. On an average, 5000 persons are enrolled for various training programmes at different centres at a time and their training extends over a period of 3-4 months. The Kendras have also continued to be the major agencies of broadbasing sports and games and of giving physical education the character of a mass movement. During the year under report, 7500 youth have participated in these programmes.
The Kendras have made further headway with programmes of youth leadership training. These programmes have now been extended to a large number of states and institutions. During the current year sanction has been given to train about 3000 youth leaders sponsored by the Kendras in various States.
Detailed guidelines are being formulated to further strengthen and consolidate the programmes of the Kendras and proposals to establish a suitable organisational structure to supervise the expanding activities of the Kendras are also under consideration.
Inter-State Students-teacher camps for the promotion of National
Integration-Visits of students from one part of the country to
another
(1) National Integration Camps for Children Under this Scheme, camps are organised "for 10-15 days in which 75 students and 15 teachers from five different states camp in the sixth State to afford them an opportunity to understand the essential unity in diversity of the entire country." The scheme is in operation from 1969-70. During the year 1975-76, 14 camps for school children are being organised by the NCERT.
(2) Teacher Camps From 1974-75, NCERT has been asked to organise Teachers Camps with a view to promoting national integration in educational institutions. Each such camp will comprise 100 teachers drawn from different regions.
Three camps have so far been organised by the NCERT at Manali this year. 4 more camps are being organised by them. There is a total provision of Rs. 4.00 lakhs for the above programme during 1975-76, which has been spent in full.
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National Integration Samitis The National Integration Samitis established in Universities and Colleges continued their programmes for the promotion of national integration during the period under report. There are 67 Samitis functioning in Universities, 65 in affiliated Colleges. The Samitis 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.
A Review Committee has been set up for the NIS under the Chairmanship of Shri T. K. Tope, Vice-Chancellor, Bombay University, Bombay. Other steps have also been taken to activise the existing National Integration Samitis.
Sports and Games By the end of 1975-76, the Netaji Subhas National Institute of sports, Patiala had produced 2,850 coaches in 13 different sports and games. A new discipline viz., Boxing has been added during 1975-76 and coaches will now be produced in this field as well. 327 trainees are undergoing training at the Institute during 1975-76 academic session, which is a record number. Amongst the 327 trainees, 16 are from abroad and 27 are women. Those undergoing training at the Institute include a good number of ex-international players and nearly 2/3rd National level players.
The institute organised five orientation courses of' six weeks duration each during the summer vacation 1975, at Patiala, Delhi, Bangalore, Gwalior and Gandhinagar. The course was attended by 475 Physical Education Teachers.
Coaching camps were organised by the Institute for their National teams before their participation in international events. The teams trained include, the Women's Hockey team for the World Cup, the National Athletic team for the 2nd Asian Athletic Championship at Seoul, the National Basketball team for Asian Basketball Championship at Bangkok, the Indian Boxing team for Asian Boxing Championship held in Japan, the Indian Badminton team for the Thomas Cup, the Indian Hockey Senior team for its New Zealand tour, the Indian Hockey Junior team for its European tour and the Women's Cricket team for die Indo- New Zealand Test Series. Coaching camps for Juniors on various games like Athletics, Badminton, Tennis, Basketball. Table Tennis, Hockey, Football, Gymnastics, Weightlifting; were also conducted. Owing to the rigorous training provided under the ideal conditions, and expert coaches, the team trained by the Institute gave a good account of themselves in their respective
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tournaments. Indian athletes for the first time secured 1st position in Men's events in Asian Athletic Championship held at Seoul and bagged nineteen medals. There has also been improvement in Basketball and Women's Hockey.
The Institute received foreign coaches in Weightlifting from the U.K. and the U.S.S.R. and Volleyball and Football coaches from the U.S.S.R. These coaches conducted clinics for the inservice coaches and organised coaching camps in their respective games for senior and junior players. Five NIS Coaches are on coaching assignments in Nigeria, Nepal, Afganistan and Mauritius. 4 coaches one each in Athletics, Basketball, Football and Tennis have returned after getting 2 years training in F.R.G. Six more coaches have returned after completing one; year Diploma course in coaching in GDR.
The sports Medicine wing of NIS has undertaken research on problems confronted by wrestlers, football and hockey players. In its publication programme, the Institute brought out regularly the NIS Journal, Sports Medicine Journal, Athletic Asia and NIS News Bulletin. A revised and amplified edition of the Book "Playing Field Manual" was released. The Swimming Pool and Gymasium. already under construction at Patiala are likely to be completed shortly.
All India Council of Sports The All India Council of Sports, reconstituted in April, 1972, continued to function during 1975-76 to advise the Ministry on all matters pertaining the promotion and development of sports and games in the country.
Grants to State Sports Councils Grants totalling Rs. 3 lakhs were released to State Sports Councils during the period April, 1975 to January, 1976.
Rural Sports Centres Grants for the establishment of 185 new centres have been given up to January, 1976.
Sports Talent Search Scholarships for school students 400 scholarships at the National level, and 800 scholarships at the State level of the value of Rs. 600/- per annum and Rs. 300/- per, anum respectively have been awarded during 1975-76. Besides, 80 National level scholarships and 179 State level scholarships awarded during the preceding years were renewed.
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Grants to National Sports Federations During the year 1975-76 grants totalling Rs. 15.95 lakhs (Plan), Rs. 8.75 lakhs (Non-Plan) have been sanctioned to the 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 events (i) The 33rd World Table Tennis Championships were held at Calcutta from 6th to 16th February, 1975. India secured 16th position in team events in category 'A'.
(ii) The Indian Hockey team participated in and won the 3rd World Cup Hockey tournament held at Kuala Lumpur from 1st to 15th March, 1975. Defeating Pakistan in the final, India regained the World supremacy in Hockey.
(iii) The 2nd Asian Ameteur Athletic Championships were held at Seoul from 9th to 14th June, 1975. A contingent of 29 athletes participated in the Championships. Indian athletes won 9 gold medals, 5 silver medals and 5 bronze medals. For the first time in Asia India secured first position in the men's events.
(iv) A 6-member Indian shooting team participated in the 3rd Asian Shooting Championship held at Kuala Lumpur from 16th August, 1975. One of the shooters secured a silver medal.
(v) A 2-member Billiards team participated in the 1975 World Billiards Amateur Championship held at Auckland (New Zealand) from 9th to 27th September 1975 and secured 2nd position.