International Youth Day: Time to ensure employment to youths

Nepal Tarun Dal Chairman Jeet Jung Basnet has said non-implementation of policy and programmes on youths has resulted in the exodus of Nepali youths.

Chairman of the sister wing of Nepali Congress, Basnet, argued that political leaders were indifferent to addressing the issues surrounding the development of youths.

"Time has come to ensure employment to Nepali youths to contribute to industrial development in the country," he said, adding that entrepreneurship was another important need for youths.

Similarly, Young Communist League Chairman Ram Prasad Sapkota, viewed that although the State spent a lot on the youth agenda, they did not yield proper results. Translation into action the youth-related policy is an urgent need, he underscored.

National Youth Association Chairman Kiran Poudel viewed although Nepal formulated necessary laws and policy but was not implemented effectively.

Nepal could be made self-reliant on the economy by engaging youths in agriculture with its modernization, he added.

Meanwhile, Vice Chairman of the National Youth Council, Madhav Dhungel pointed out the lack of coordination among the concerned bodies to implement youth-related programmes. No noticeable result was achieved though 18 departments under 11 ministries were working on youth issues.

He informed that around Rs 2 billion is spent in a year for youths from federal, province and local level governments.

In the present Global Youth Development Index, Nepal stands in the 77th position while Nepal stands 4th among the SAARC countries.

Tomorrow, (August 12), the International Youth Day is being marked in Nepal too.

According to a record maintained by the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Development, 538,000 youths fly abroad annually for jobs in normal time while the number declined to 323,000 now. This data is the official record which does not include those going to neighbouring India for jobs and those gone for foreign jobs illegally. It shows how harrowing the situation is for youths in Nepal.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is scheduled to address a programme being organized by the National Youth Council tomorrow. The Day is being marked in Nepali since 2004. The UN General Assembly had announced the Day in 1999.

Among the total population, youths occupy 40.3 per cent in Nepal. The National Youth Council was set up in 2072BS.