With the amount of energy and enthusiasm associated with YOUTH, we are well aware of the risks associated with them. Lifestyle and behavior-related diseases such as substance use, inflicting self-harm, a tendency towards gender-based violence, low nutrition, and physical inactivity are fast becoming the cause for the highest mortality and increased disability among youth. Most of these causes begin early and occur mostly during the Youth phase itself.
Being aware that, seven out of ten deaths in the future will be due to non-communicable diseases in developing countries, it is high time we start with our interventions as a system. However, there has been little effort to date on investing in this core population. As we know youth issues attract little attention. Besides, with high unemployment and literacy rates, providing services that promote their overall development is a challenging task. This needs infrastructural, architectural, and programmatic correction in the existing youth empowerment programs. Considering this, the Government of Karnataka drafted the Youth Policy 2012 in line with the “National Youth Policy” with a vision that articulates the role of youth in shaping and steering the destiny of the society of tomorrow.
As the Additional Chief Secretary of the Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports, Government of Karnataka, I am happy that we have initiated the program “Yuva Spandana” for the youth of our state. I hope our youth will access these services and benefit from them. I trust this program will go a long way and help our youth to face their challenges effectively. I extend full support for the successful implementation of the program “Yuva Spandana”. I congratulate the Department of Epidemiology, Center for Public Health at NIMHANS for taking up the challenge of implementing Yuva Spandana across the state of Karnataka. My best wishes and blessings for the program “Yuva Spandana”.
