Youth Development Index on the anvil

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Youth Affairs Usman Dar chaired a meeting regarding the formation of Youth Development Index at the PM Office on Thursday.

The meeting, attended by representatives of UNDP, UNFPA and Ministry of Planning, Reform & Special Initiatives, focused on modalities for establishing Youth Development Index for guiding and gauging youth development related measures in the country.

Mr. Dar said Prime Minister’s Kamyab Jawan Programme is the flagship initiative of the present government which aims at true youth development in Pakistan. He stressed that Youth Development Index (YDI) will help the government and development partners assess the impacts of their interventions.

“Establishment of Youth Index level reflects our commitment and seriousness towards development of Pakistani youth”, he underlined, adding working towards the Youth Development Index will serve as a baseline survey by providing important data on our youth and will also identify areas/ dimensions crucial for youth development.

“Once these dimensions are objectively identified, we can focus on interventions required for development of our youth”, Usman Dar emphasised, regretting that Pakistan’s poor position at Commonwealth Youth Development Index reflects the lack of vision and seriousness by the previous governments.

“How can one assess the situation and make effective policies in the absence of a youth index in the country,” asked Mr Dar.

He further said that YDI will promote positive competition among provinces and regions of the country regarding measures for development of the youth.