Youth Development in India

Sibnath Deb is Professor and Director at the Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD), under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India. Before joining RGNIYD, he taught at Pondicherry University and University of Calcutta. He is also Adjunct Professor at School of Justice, Faculty of Law, Queensland University of Technology, Australia. He has 30 years of teaching, research, and administrative experience. He has supervised 21 PhDs and published 15 books. He has been a recipient of Visitor’s Award, 2019 for his academic and research contributions.Bishakha Majumdar is a faculty member of Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Management at the Indian Institute of Management Visakhapatnam, India. With a PhD from IIM Indore, she has been engaged in teaching, corporate training, research, and consultancy in Human Resource Management and Psychology for more than ten years. She has authored several research papers, case studies, and book chapters in the areas of people management and public policy, besides co-authoring the book Disadvantaged Children in India: Empirical Evidence, Policies and Actions (2021) with Sibnath Deb, and has received multiple awards for her research contributions. Aleena Maria Sunny is a faculty member at the Department of Applied Psychology, Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD), India. She is also a PhD Scholar at the Department of Applied Psychology, Pondicherry University. Her three co-authored publications with Sibnath Deb include Community Psychology: Theories and Application (2021); Disadvantaged Children in India: Empirical Evidence, Policies and Actions (2021); and Childhood to Adolescence: Issues and Concerns (2021).

‘Youth Development in India is the most comprehensive book available describing the strengths, challenges, and opportunities of youth in India. This book is destined to become a classic in the youth development literature. It contains practical, strength-based suggestions for promoting youth development that will be of interest to administrators, government officials, educators, and mental health practitioners who are interested in thinking deeply about ways to empower youth in any country.’ Brian A. Gerrard, Chief Academic Officer, Western Institute for Social Research, Berkeley, California & Emeritus Faculty, Counseling Psychology Department, University of San Francisco, USA‘Professor Deb is the leading thinker on young people in India today. He and his co-authors are to be congratulated on this milestone book. This text is important for several reasons. Firstly, it provides the most comprehensive overview of young people in India to date, and it does so in a way which will be accessible to undergraduate and international audiences, who might be new to the themes here. Secondly, the opportunities and challenges faced by India’s and the world's young people have been highlighted by the growth of information technologies and the onset of a global pandemic. There is much the world can learn from the recent Indian experience, especially when it comes to the experiences of young people. Finally, the text is to be applauded for taking an optimistic view of young people, focussing on themes of empowerment and building capacity for leadership.’John Scott, Professor and Head, School of Justice, Queensland University of Technology, Australia‘This book will be invaluable for those who work with children, whatever their professional background. It is up to date, relevant to a modern society and written by experienced scholars who know what they are talking about.’Kim Oates, Emeritus Professor, Child and Adolescent Health, The University of Sydney, Australia

• 1. Child Protection and Youth Development 2. Demographic and Socio-Economic Status of the Youth 3. Role of Family and Its Culture in Child Upbringing and Youth Development 4. Role of Teachers and Other Important Influencers in Youth Development 5. Changing Socio-Economic and Political Scenario and Youth Development 6. Adversities Experienced by Youth and Their Risk Behaviour 7. Virtual World and Its Impact on Youth Development 8. Mental Fitness and Other Psychological Capitals of Youth in India 9. Youth Participation in Crisis Management, Social Development and Policy Formulation 10. Skill Development Programs, Entrepreneurship, and International and National Policies and Programs for Youth