More than 5 lakh students have participated in the Youth Parliament Programme run by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. The programme includes competitions in Delhi schools, Kendriya Vidyalayas, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, universities and colleges, as well as Eklavya Model Residential Schools. Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju, on Monday, informed the Rajya Sabha.
To expand reach to citizens, including students in remote and rural areas, a web portal under the National Youth Parliament Scheme (NYPS) has been developed. Through the portal, more than 1 lakh citizens have engaged via institution-level, group-level or individual participation in Youth Parliament sittings and a quiz on the theme ‘Bharatiya Democracy in Action’.
The core objectives of the Youth Parliament Programme are to strengthen the roots of democracy, inculcate discipline, encourage tolerance of others’ views, familiarise students with parliamentary practices and government functioning, reinforce constitutional values, and help them lead democratic lives.
In the last two financial years, nearly 600 educational institutions and 35,000 students participated in competition-based sessions. Additionally, approximately 1,800 Youth Parliament sittings were organised via the portal, engaging more than 66,000 students.
