Date:10/01/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/01/10/stories/2004011006260300.htm

National

Jamshedpur to host national youth festival

NEW DELHI, JAN. 9. More than 3000 youth from almost all States will showcase their talents in arts, crafts, adventure sports and martial arts at the Ninth National Youth Festival to be held from January 12 to 16 at Tatanagar, Jamshedpur in Jharkhand.

The Festival, an annual event aimed at channelising the creative energies of the youth in the country, will be jointly organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan and the Jharkhand State Government.

The Jharkhand Chief Minister, Arjun Munda, will inaugurate the festival, where Union Minister for Sports and Youth Vikram Verma will be the chief guest.

The Youth Festival is organised to commemorate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanand, which falls on January 12, and is celebrated as the National Youth Day all over the country.

The theme of this year's Festival is ``Youth and New Challenges.''

With the special focus on the development of tribal art, craft and cultre of Jharkhand, the Festival is expected to give impetus to youth activities, especially in Jharkhand, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, an autonomous body under the Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry, said today.

About 30 teams, comprising 70 members each, from different states are likely to participate in various programmes under the competitive and non-competitive categories. The competitive section has 18 events, including folk dance, folk song, classical dance and one-act play.

The National Youth Awards, instituted by the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, will be presented at the Festival. Besides, awards to voluntary organisations and the Best Youth Club will also be presented. - UNI