Natl youth awards presented

New Delhi (Agencies): President Pranab Mukherjee conferred the National Youth Award 2011-12 on 27 individuals and a West Bengal-based organisation at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhawan on Thursday. The Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Jitendra Singh and several other dignitaries were present on the occasion. It is for the first time the National Youth awards have been given by the President of India. National Youth Awards, instituted in the year 1985 are conferred on youth each year who have demonstrably excelled in different fields of youth development and social service. The award carries a silver medal, a certificate and a cash prize of Rs 40,000 in case of individual awardee and Rs 2 lakh for any voluntary organisation. The selected individuals are expected to possess leadership qualities and use them in carrying out voluntary activities in the field of youth development. election of awardees is first made at state level and then at the national level. At the national level, a screening committee headed by the joint secretary scrutinises the proposals recommended by the state government/UT administration. These screened proposals are thereafter placed before the Central Selection Committee headed either by the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports or Secretary, Youth Affairs that makes the final selection of youth awardees.