The Karnataka government has issued an order to establish 10,000 Bharat Jodo Yuva Sanghas (BJYS) across the State, approving an annual outlay of Rs 1,010 crore, including Rs 10 crore for administrative expenses, to support the initiative.
The Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister DK Shivakumar took the decision on June 3, the day Shivakumar was sworn in after replacing Siddaramaiah.
According to guidelines formulated by the cabinet sub-committee headed by Shivakumar, released on July 13, 6,000 youth sanghas will be set up at the gram panchayat level and 4,000 in urban wards, with each sangha receiving an annual grant of Rs 10 lakh.
The Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports will implement the scheme with support from the Departments of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Urban Development, Revenue and Education.
Each sangha will also have a trainer, who will receive an annual honorarium of Rs 24,000. The activity framework includes sports and fitness programmes, rural sports tournaments, yoga camps, health and cleanliness drives, community development initiatives, cultural programmes, skill development, environmental conservation and youth empowerment activities.
To establish a Bharat Jodo Yuva Sangha, applications can be submitted through the dedicated BJYS portal or at citizen service centres. Each sangha must have a minimum of 100 members between the ages of 16 and 35 and will be registered under the Karnataka Societies Registration Act, 1960.
The government has directed deputy commissioners and chief executive officers of zilla panchayats to provide suitable space for the sanghas in schools, colleges, community halls or other government buildings.
Each Bharat Jodo Yuva Sangha will be managed by a 15-member executive committee elected by its members, with a tenure of two years. District-level committees will also be constituted, while the Chief Minister will head the State-level monitoring committee overseeing implementation.
The order sets a tight implementation timeline. Registration of the youth sanghas, installation of software and finalisation of project guidelines must be completed by July 31. Training, commencement of activities across the State and release of the first two instalments of grants are scheduled to be completed by October 31.
