Pune: India is proposing a new National Youth Policy and will be an extended version of National Education Policy (NEP) Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports of India said here.

He was speaking after he was invited to address International Conference on Raising Resilient Youth: from University to Community organised by Symbiosis Centre for Emotional Wellbeing, SIU in collaboration with Mpower.

He said, “We are drafting a ‘New National Youth Policy’ which will be an extension of National Education Policy- NEP 2020 where more emphasis will be on Fitness and Sport. We want to become a better Sporting Nation. ‘Khelo India’ which is the initiative of Government of India where the University level games are of world class. The Government of India also launched a “Fit India Movement” where we expect the Universities of India to take a leadership role.”

Rijiju said, “India is a developing nation. The competition here is stiff hence we have also started facing mental health problems within the students of our country. Even if we have 100 per cent literacy rate in our country we still cannot be a developed nation. How better you know the subject or how talented you are being not enough but the productivity and output of the people makes the country rich.”

Expressing on Atmanirbhar Bharat he expressed, “Role of our country’s youth is more crucial in Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Hence, utilisation of the youth in the proper direction will help in building the nation. No other country in the world has the number of youth organisations like India but the entire youth must be channelized and put them on one platform.

Dr S.B. Mujumdar Chancellor of Symbiosis International University along with Neerja Birla, Founder, Chairperson, Mpower and Dr Rajiv Yeravdekar, Dean Faculty of Health Sciences, Symbiosis International University were the other distinguished speakers for the program.