‘Protecting young champions’: 22 organisations want PM Modi to address challenges faced by adolescents in I-D

New Delhi, Aug 14: Several organisations working for the development and wellbeing of adolescents has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to include this group in the agenda of priorities during his Independence Day speech, saying by issuing a call for action to invest in them, much progress can be achieved.

In a joint letter to the prime minister, 22 organisations, including the Population Foundation of India, Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecological Societies, Swades Foundation and Indian Association of Parliamentarians on Population Development, said addressing the needs of thousands of adolescents who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic will offer hope to this population and inspire change.

"On India's 75th Independence Day, as we look forward to a brighter future for our nation, we would be grateful if you include India's adolescents in your agenda of priorities in your Independence Day speech.

"By issuing a call for action to all parents, teachers, organizations and safeguarding bodies to listen to our adolescents and invest in them, much progress can be achieved," they said in their letter to the prime minister. They said with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdowns leading to school closures, extended home confinement and mental anxieties due to uncertainty and economic insecurities in future, the challenges faced by adolescents have got further exacerbated.

"We know that you are concerned with the critical need to not only safeguard young people's health and wellbeing but also equip these future leaders to leverage opportunities to take India to new heights. "By defining 'adolescents' as a distinct group with unique requirements, we can take the first step towards understanding their needs better and, thereby, protecting our young champions," they said.