Youth worried over lack of skill development units in Delhi- The New Indian Express

NEW DELHI:  Lack of institutions that could help youth to acquire employment and housing for students were the main concerns conveyed by young city residents during ‘input’ collection exercise initiated by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) for the new master of Delhi (MPD) 2041 being worked upon.

“They (youth) believe that even if they do somehow educate themselves in reasonably good schools or colleges and perform to the best of their abilities, they don’t necessarily get employed. There was a need felt for equitably distributed skill enhancement institutions that would help them hone their employability skills and make them ready for the job market,” said an official of the DDA.

The DDA along with NIUA organised an ‘Online Youth Sabha’ on Thursday in which young city residents and students 15-30 years of age participated.

More than 800 participants registered for the event and 450 of them attended the first Youth Sabha. The meeting was also attended by senior officials.

The agencies have been consulting with different groups to seek their views on the new MPD. The dialogue aimed to focus on the access to associated amenities like housing, connectivity to these institutions etc, said the DDA official.

“Lack of proper housing for students or youth was expressed by most of them. They elaborated on how good housing was unaffordable and unsafe and the ones that they could afford (near the institution) were plagued with anti-social elements. This has made it impossible for students to find a suitable place to live and study,” he added.

Accessibility to social infrastructure such as schools, colleges was another concern that was shared by most of the youth participants, he said. 

All the participants were encouraged to fill a two-part survey proforma which would enable them to put in words their expectations from the upcoming Master Plan for Delhi 2041 and what according to them should be the core areas for policymaking that they associate with the most.