What is National Youth Award?

the criteria fixed to confer the National Youth Award to youths in the country under the National Programme for Youth and Adolescent Development (NPYAD) Scheme Guidelines is as follows: 

(i) He / she should be between the ages of 15 – 29 years and should not be an employee of the central/state government, PSUs, universities and colleges. 

(ii) He / she should have rendered service in the field of social work in the rural areas and urban slums, promotion of national integration, adventure, cultural and recreational activities, non-formal and adult education programmes, work for improvement of the conditions of persons belonging to the weaker sections of the society, SC/ST and tribal areas, work connected with popularization of nationally accepted values, scouting and guiding and any other work considered important keeping in view the local needs and priorities during the financial year for which award is to be given and should also be the one who is likely to continue to involve himself / herself in such activities for at least another two years after conferment of the award. 

(iii) The service rendered should be on a voluntary basis and should have made a remarkable impact in the community/society. 

(iv) The impact of the service rendered by him / her in person should be clearly identifiable, preferably quantitatively. 

(v) Other consideration for guiding the selection of youth for the national award include his / her reputation among the local community, his / her desire for improvement and genuine interest in the relevant field. 

(vi) For selection of the award, applications are first scrutinized by the State/UT Level Selection Committee under the Chairmanship of the Secretary of the Department dealing with the Youth Affairs of the State/UT and thereafter not more than 5 names of young persons are recommended by the State/UT level Committee to the Central Government. At the national level, a Central Selection Committee scrutinizes the recommendations of the State Governments / UT administrations and make the final selection of the National Youth Awards. The Central Selection Committee may, at its discretion, consider on merits, individuals not recommended by the State / UT Government for the award. 

                  since its inception (1985), 675 youth have been conferred with National Youth Award. The National Youth Award is generally conferred during the National Youth Festival and the past awardees are invited through the State/UTs government as part of their contingent for the National Youth Festival(The National Youth Festival in India is an annual gathering of youth with various activities including competitive ones. Celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of youth icon Swami Vivekananda, it is organized by Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India in collaboration with one of the State Governments. Thus it is held in a different state each year during National Youth Week, 12 to 16 January every year). 

            Some of the National Youth Awardees are also part of the youth delegations who are sent abroad under the International Youth Exchange Programme of this Ministry. Apart from this, one male and one female National Youth Awardees have been included as members of the Youth Council which was constituted on 20th February, 2014 to monitor the implementation of the National Youth Policy, to focus on the innovations in the Youth Development Sector and to create a framework for recognition of youth making significant innovations etc.