Youth in the age group of 15–29 years comprise 27.5% of the population. At present, 34% of India's Gross National Income (GNI) is contributed by the youth. Youth being the most vibrant and resourceful segment of the country's population have a vital role to play in fostering and strengthening socio-economic development. However, there is a huge potential to increase their active engagement in addressing development challenges for sustainable, inclusive, and prospering societies.

UN Volunteers in India and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, are working in a partnership, since 2014, across 58 districts in 27 states of India, with the aim to facilitate inclusive youth voice and action through formulation of Youth Clubs and innovative initiatives in volunteering for community development, skills development, awareness generation on Government of India’s programs at grassroot levels and strengthening delivery of services in hard-to-reach geographies.

Volunteerism can play a significant role in capitalizing on the youth’s potential by creating awareness and mobilizing the population. The project focuses on volunteering within a larger framework of goals for young people—creating a productive workforce, developing a strong and healthy generation, instilling social values, promoting community service, and facilitating civic engagement.

This project aims to:

• Improve the infrastructure of Youth Volunteers in 58 districts across the country. 
• Strengthen engagement at the national, state, district, and local levels to build an ecosystem for re-imagined volunteering journey that facilitates and enables youth development. 
• Connect young people with opportunities for skill development and career guidance. 
• Forge partnerships with the government, private sector, and civil society to promote volunteerism and youth development.

Achievements:

• 25,803 Youth Clubs formed and revived (as of June 2022). 3,61,836 youth enrolled as members in youth clubs. 31,44,596 youth mobilized for youth development and volunteering activities.
• V-Awards launched to recognise and celebrate 10 extraordinary young people for their social innovations and initiatives that has positively impacted communities around them.
• Youth Resource Centres (YRC) established to serve as a one-stop platform connecting youth with skills and career guidance opportunities. Over 30,000 young people engaged through 500 youth-empowerment training programs on income and livelihood generation, career guidance and employment, digital and financial literacy, 21st-century skills, etc.
• Simulated Youth Parliament conducted since 2018, at district and national level for promoting youth participation in governance. Handbook on Conducting Youth Parliament prepared.
• Online campaigns under V-Force platform had an outreach of over 1 million people via 23000 registered V-force volunteers.
• Developed Standard Learning Package as a customized curriculum to build capacities of National Youth Volunteers for social mobilization and promotion of volunteerism. Developed ‘Learning Module- Volunteering for Women’s Empowerment’ to strengthen volunteers’ capacity. So far, 1,144 National Youth Volunteers trained on various dimensions of women empowerment. 
• ‘Social Innovation Challenge’ - S.O.L.V.E.D. (Social Objectives-Led Volunteer Enterprise Development) launched to promote innovations led by young entrepreneurs towards a sustainable and secure food value chain.
• ‘Pilot Project on Volunteering Journey for Youth Advocates’ implemented in 5 Aspirational Districts, where 130 volunteers developed social innovation projects by completing 800 hours of volunteering to raise community awareness on SDGs. 
• 21 Training programmes on ‘Start and Improve Your Business’ (SIYB) organised in partnership with International Labour Organization (ILO). 515 youth across 15 districts trained as business entrepreneurs.
• Partnerships forged with national and international organizations to connect young people with 21^st Century skills, financial and digital literacy, career guidance and counselling services etc. 

Looking Forward: 

 i). Revitalize network of Youth Clubs and promoting volunteerism for development.

ii.) Technical assistance for the preparation of the National Youth Policy and National Policy on Volunteerism  

iii.) Scaling the Youth Resource Centre 

iv.) Strengthen partnerships for skilling, reskilling, and upskilling young people to enhance their employability and to promote self-employment.