Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD)
The Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD) is an Institute of National Importance (INI), functioning under the aegis of the Department of Youth Affairs, Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports. Established in 1993 as an autonomous organisation, the Institute was accorded the status of an Institute of National Importance by an Act of Parliament in 2012 under the RGNIYD Act, 2012.
The RGNIYD Act, 2012 envisages the Institute as a national apex institution for youth development, with a mandate extending beyond academic education to policy research, training and capacity building, knowledge generation, extension and outreach, and national and international collaboration in the field of youth development.
Located at Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, RGNIYD serves as a national resource centre for youth development, policy research, training and capacity building. In 2008, the Institute expanded its mandate to include academic programmes, primarily in the social sciences, as well as doctoral research, thereby strengthening its role in developing skilled human resources in the youth sector and contributing to research and evidence-based youth policy formulation and implementation.
The Institute undertakes academic, research, training, documentation, advocacy, consultancy and outreach activities across diverse areas of youth development, including education, employment, social inclusion, leadership, entrepreneurship, sports, health and community engagement. It conducts training programmes for government officials, youth functionaries, MY Bharat, NSS, NYKS and other youth organisations, as well as civil society organisations.
RGNIYD also functions as a think tank for the Ministry, providing policy inputs, undertaking research and impact assessments, and facilitating the identification and dissemination of good practices in youth-related interventions. Through these activities, the Institute contributes to strengthening institutional capacities and supporting evidence-based approaches to youth development.
The Institute currently offers six postgraduate programmes on its campus: M.S.W. (Youth and Community Development), M.Sc. Applied Psychology, M.A. Sociology, M.A. English, M.A. Public Administration, and M.A. Development Studies.
The Institute has also entered into MoUs with organisations such as the Apparel Training and Design Centre (ATDC), Gurugram, and the Creative Arts Education Society (CAES), New Delhi, for offering various degree programmes.
The Institute has two Regional Centres, located at Chandigarh and Arunachal Pradesh, which extend its academic, training and outreach activities.
Through national and international collaborations and field-based engagement, RGNIYD supports the holistic development and empowerment of youth and contributes to the Government of India’s vision of harnessing the demographic dividend for inclusive and sustainable national development.
RGNIYD continues to play a pivotal role in strengthening institutional capacities and advancing the Government of India’s vision of harnessing the demographic dividend for inclusive and sustainable national development.
