KATHMANDU: President Bidya Devi Bhandari has said that youth’s skills, capacity, and thoughts should be fully utilized.
In a message on the occasion of International Youth Day today, President Bhandari stressed that the state should fully utilize the energy, intellect, and courage of youths keeping their development at high priority.
Stating that it was necessary to connect youths with production by creating opportunities for employment in the country in order to achieve sustainable development goals, she wished that the Nepali youths should be inspired with creative thinking for positive change of the country.
The President opined that there was a huge responsibility of family, society, and nation upon the youth’s shoulders, saying youth power is the power of the nation.
She further said that adversity might be surfaced for the development of a sustainable economy due to the brain drain of a large number of youths.
President Bhandari mentioned, “Some of our social, cultural norms and values have deviated as many youths left for foreign employment, which has also spoiled family happiness and peace.”
Saying the youths should be involved in the agriculture revolution to reduce the trade deficit of agro products and forest products, she pointed out the need of involving youths in innovation through skill-oriented and quality education.
The President mentioned that adversity has been created in the agro system and problems in production distribution and consumption of food due to the COVID-19, adding the COVID-19 has added another challenge.
She opined that she is happy as the National Youth Council, established with an objective of making overall development of Nepali youths, has been carrying out different creative activities.
“Nepal is at high risk of climate change. With the temperature increasing in the Himalayan region as a result, risks loom for mountains to melt and glacial lakes to erupt causing chaos in the lives of people,” she said.
Stating that pollution and natural disasters like flooding, landslides, deforestation, soil erosion, and fires have taken their toll on the lives of Nepali people, she called for youths to take ‘special’ initiatives to stem the impacts of climate change.
On this occasion, the Council executive vice chair Madhav Dhungel has stressed the need for prospering the country only by developing the efficiency of youths.
The International Youth Day has been observed across the globe since 2000 after the United Nations in 1999 decided to celebrate the Day on August 12.
In Nepal, the Day has been observed since 2004. The slogan for the International Youth Day, 2021 is “Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health”. Of the total population of Nepal, the country makes up 40.3 percent of youths.
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