Thursday, 24 June 2021 | Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank
Union Cabinet Minister for Education, Government of India, Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank says that YUVA will encourage a stream of authors who can write on a spectrum of subjects to promote Indian heritage, culture and knowledge
What is the genesis of the YUVA: Prime Minister’s Scheme For Mentoring Young Authors?
The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, in his Mann Ki Baat, on January 31, called upon ‘youngsters to write about our freedom fighters, events associated with them and tales of valour during freedom struggle from their areas’. That provided us with the vision to launch the first-ever multi-lingual authors’ mentorship scheme at the national level to provide a platform to the young writers to pen their thoughts on various known and unknown facets of the National Movement as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav programmes.
What are the main salient features of the scheme?
Any young and budding writer below the age of 30 years (as of June 1, 2021) is eligible to participate in the ongoing ‘all India contest’. It will end on July 31. The contestants can send their entry in any of the 22 languages listed in the 8th schedule of the Constitution and English, provided their entry in any way relates to the National Movement. They need to send their entry in a maximum of 5,000 words, and if selected, through a well-structured Mentorship programme, the scripts will be developed by the authors into a full-fledged book. A total of 75 authors will be selected under the scheme, and on selection, they will be offered a scholarship of `50,000 per month for six months. Moreover, the National Book Trust, India, which is the Implementing Agency for the Scheme, will be publishing the books, and would also offer royalties to the authors, in original language as well as possible translated editions, as per its norms. So, the scheme is structured to provide a 360-degree exposure to the young authors to the exciting world of writing, creating, ideating, editing, publishing, interaction with the national and internationally acclaimed authors, and seeks to open a door to a world of creative opportunities.
This type of scheme has not been attempted on a national scale before. How does it aim to encourage authorship and the writing aspirations of the Indian youth?
A nation’s literature is an important way to chronicle a nation’s journey through time. This scheme, in understanding the power of words, aims to encourage young writers to hone their craft so that they can optimise their potential and become thought leaders of the future. It aims to encourage authorship and the writing aspirations of the Indian youth by providing them an opportunity to present their work before the reading masses.
Since you are also an acclaimed author, how do you see the scheme?
As an author myself, I can attest to the fact that becoming a writer is a tough process as it demands a lot of time and effort. This is even more so when there is a dearth of available opportunities that can acknowledge and hone raw talent. At the time when I started writing, there was no easy way to publish written work. It is with the knowledge that young writers across India face similar challenges, that we have introduced this scheme — to make authorship more accessible and to create a platform that many writers like myself did not get in the past.
How do you think this scheme will help young authors in the future?
I believe that this scheme will allow many young writers to publish their work and that I, in turn, will inspire them to work further on their writing skills. I think a majority of the young authors selected through this scheme will go on to inculcate a great literary acumen and will become prolific writers of the future. They will definitely put India on the literary map of the world and one or more of them might even win international awards like the Nobel Prize in Literature. I say so because I believe that the young writers of India are capable of both writings about history and creating history.
The core of the YUVA theme is India@75. What is the vision behind it?
The scheme is an opportunity for the youth to display their work on a prestigious platform, but it is simultaneously a chance for them to delve into the defining period of India’s history. Since proficient writing requires voracious reading, this theme of the National Movement will encourage the young authors to learn about the freedom struggle, its celebrated heroes and their sacrifices for the nation. In the process, they might encounter unsung heroes, whose stories are yet to be written and they might write these stories themselves. So the idea is to gift the youth the knowledge of their country’s past in a way that also allows them to effectively contribute to it — by documenting history through their writing.
A crucial facet of the PM’s YUVA scheme is its multilingual submissions. Can you highlight this aspect?
India’s societal landscape is recognised the world over for its opulent diversity with regard to culture, traditions and value systems. But our country is especially well-known for its multi-linguistic character because many languages harmoniously coexist to create a varied linguistic panorama. And as each language is unique in its mode of description and vocabulary, we want to ensure that the perspectives and stories from across the country’s multi-lingual fabric are portrayed in this scheme to create a rich narrative of India, its glorious past and its illustrious future. This will promote a much better understanding among various linguistic factions in contemporary times.
The scheme also includes NRI(s)/PIO(s). What is the idea behind this?
The scheme wants to give all people, who are rooted in India’s culture and ethnic background, a chance to write about the country’s national movement, its heroes and its history in general. And to ensure that Indians from across the world can participate and express their view about the country, this scheme has allowed submissions from PIO(s)/NRI(s). We should also never forget the crucial role played by the Indian diaspora community in furthering the cause and ideals of the national movement and identity.
