ICYO

YOUTH INFORMATION

                           No: 2008/26

(E-Newsletter from network of youth organizations in India)

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ICYO - Platform of 356 Youth Organizations in India.       

ICYO - India’s largest network of urban and rural youth.

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Govt’s De-addiction Plan to

Target Eunuchs, Beggars

 

New Delhi: Eunuchs and beggars would in future be at the core of government’s efforts on de-addiction.

For the first time, eunuchs are being factored into Centre’s policy-making, with Union social justice and empowerment ministry (MSJ) naming them as a target group in its schemes for deaddiction from alcoholism and substance abuse.

 

Besides acknowledging that addiction is an issue with the ‘third sex’, it is a statement that the community has arrived after years of neglect by mainstream society and planners alike.

 

The ministry has decided to make a special provision for Integrated Rehabilitation Centre for Addicts (IRCA) for ‘vulnerable groups’ in its new scheme to fight addiction, with eunuchs, beggars and vulnerable children being the categories in focus.

Sources said ‘vulnerable groups’ without a voice in mainstream planning like eunuchs were generally left out of the rehab programmes and the indifference only got worse in the absence of any policy focus on them. Naming of these groups would provide a push as also an incentive to enroll eunuchs and beggars for de-addiction.

 

It would help target groups to avail comprehensive de-addiction plans run by NGOs. The IRCAs would keep those addicted to alcohol and drugs for up to two months while giving them counselling and working on their de-addiction. For their economic rehabilitation, the inmates would be provided vocational training and the NGOs would try to arrange loans for them.

 

Significantly, the IRCAs would provide ‘inhouse kitchen’ facilities for the inmates, which were not part of the existing programmes. For NGOs, it is a big challenge to keep the addicts from the economically weaker strata tied to IRCAs. Those like eunuchs and beggars, involved in unstable economic activities, are not inclined to be lodged in a place for a long duration for deaddiction which anyway, in the absence of any encouragement or family care, is not a priority.

As per figures, the de-addiction scheme for general society has seen a decline in beneficiaries from 2.61 lakh in 2002-03 to 1.07 lakh in 2006-07. The number of projects have also come down from 444 to 277.

 

A study has attributed this decline to increase in the duration of stay in centres from 10 days to 30 days besides systemic limitations and low cost input.

 

In keeping with changed concern areas, comprehensive policy changes are being made as part of the merger and upgradation of existing schemes under the umbrella ‘Scheme for Assistance for Prevention of Alcoholism and Substance Drugs Abuse and Social Defence services’. Sources said it would have a budget of Rs 260 crore for the 11th plan.

 

Beefing the NGO-run de-addiction and rehab programme, the scheme provides for opening a Regional Resource and Training Centre in every state and UT to train voluntary organisations in their area of activity. As many as 35 such centres are set to come up once the scheme is given the nod by CCEA for which MSJ has moved a note. (Subodh Ghildiyal/Times of India) [ICYO-Youth Information]

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Youth Information is published by

Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO)

194-A, Arjun Nagar, Safdarjang Enclave

New Delhi 110029, India

Phone: 91 9811729093  / 91 11 26183978 Fax 91 11 26198423

Email: icyoindia@... / icyo@...

Web:  www.icyo.in

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Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) is a registered non-profit, non-governmental network organization, committed in developing areas of mutual cooperation and understanding among different youth voluntary agencies, youth groups, clubs and individuals working in the field of youth welfare in India. 

ICYO functions as an umbrella organization of youth NGOs in India. It's family consists of
over 356 organizations spread in 122 districts of 22 states from different corners of India.

Our goal:
To improve and extend the youth work and services through Youth Organizations;
To enhance and demonstrate youth work in the society;
To promote effective youth programmmes;
To organize network of civil society organizations working towards the development of youth work;
To organize seminars, conferences, workshops, trainings;
To maintain international relation with organizations promoting young people in their programmes and activities

Affiliation: 

Consultative (Roster) Status with ECOSOC, United Nations;
Consultative Status with Commission on Sustainable Development;
Full Member of World Assembly of Youth (WAY); Asian Youth Council (AYC);
Youth for Habitat International Network (YFHIN); CRIN, South Asia Youth
Environment Network (SAYEN), Affiliate group of ECPAT International, Thailand;
ATSECE-DELHI, Indian Partner of AIDS Care Watch Campaign;
Steering Committee member of World Bank's YDP Network;
Working relation with Indian Association of Parliamentarians (IAPPD);
International Medical Parliamentarians Organizations (IMPO);
Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD);
World Youth Foundation, Malaysia.