Addressing a press conference in Hubballi on Tuesday, State General Secretary Ismail Theerthahalli said the Congress had promised to establish a youth commission in Karnataka in its 2023 Assembly election manifesto and urged the government to fulfil the commitment.
Mr. Theerthahalli said a dedicated commission could represent the concerns of young people at the policy level and help coordinate programmes relating to skill development, employment, mental health and drug-abuse prevention.
He said youth commissions were functioning in States such as Kerala, Assam, Mizoram and Bihar, and that their experiences could provide useful models for Karnataka.
The organisation welcomed the government’s decision to establish Bharat Jodo Youth Organizations, saying a youth commission could complement the initiative by strengthening youth participation in social, democratic and developmental activities.
The movement said more than two crore young people in Karnataka faced challenges such as unemployment, educational difficulties, mental stress, drug addiction, cyber fraud and inadequate representation in decision-making.
It urged the government to constitute a departmental-level committee and hold consultations with youth and student organisations, civil society representatives, educationists, mental health professionals, and employment and skill-development experts. It also sought a time-bound action plan for establishing the commission.
State Secretary Asadulla Khan Zaki, Media Coordinator Irshad Venur and other office-bearers were present.