YOUTH PARLIAMENT: ABOUT THE INITIATIVE

The Youth Parliament is a platform for the youth to speak up and make an impact on the change agenda for the country. To take on the policy makers and highlight the need for new thinking that will take the country forward. The Youth Parliament will be a debate between the best debaters and policy makers and opinion makers.
The platform will inspire the youth to express their views in an organised way. It will also allow for the emergence of bright future leaders.
The target is to engage youth in a participative dialogue in a format that has never been done before. Youth have become deeply opinionated but at times are frustrated with the lack of opportunity to get their voice and opinions heard. The Youth Parliament is the platform for them to step forward and question policy and the people who have been formulating the policy. To highlight to the establishment that they are not satisfied with the status quo and that they have the ideas and an agenda for change.
Youth Parliament Participants

Facing off in the debate with the youth of India will be distinguished Members of Parliament and key decision-makers of the country.
Media Coverage
The Youth Parliament will be promoted extensively on The Times of India, Times Now and across digital media.
The Final debate will be extensively covered on the Times of India and broadcast on Times Now. The Youth Parliament will also have a live webcast.

Process
The Youth Parliament will go through the following phases:

Phase 1: Interested participants, between 19 and 28 years of age, will fill in an online application form on www.ileadindia.com giving their personal details, outline of academic performance and details of having won an inter-collegiate debate. It will also require uploading of a 3 minute video (not more than 8 MB) on any of one of the topic as mentioned in the announcement advertisements and on the website.

Phase 2: Of the total entries received, 45 people will be short listed by a jury comprising Senior Editorial members from The Times of India & Times Now. They will be asked to appear for an open debate (subject to be shared at the time of the venue) to examine aspects such as oratory ability, approach to the topics, depth of knowledge, in addition to self-motivation & social consciousness etc.

Phase 3: Post phase 2 as mentioned above, 12 debaters will be selected as the finalists who will be debating for the main event along with the members of establishment (to be finalized). These finalists will be put through an intensive mentoring program that will include role-plays, group discussions and lectures by their respective mentors to hone up on their oratory skills, leadership skills and creativity.

Phase 4: The 12 debaters, now ready for the actual debate on television face-off against some of India’s finest parliamentarians, in a televised debate on Times Now on Oct 3, 2013.

The Youth Parliament Debate Format
The final debate will be held on the following topics, with participants speaking for or against the same:

• Politics: The Political Class of India has failed to meet the aspirations of India's youth
• Economy: Governance is the reason for India's Economic slowdown
• Foreign Affairs: India's Foreign Policy is not in line with our Global aspirations

The debate will be a round table where the selected Youth from the series get into an interactive round table with key policy makers like Union Ministers, Industrialists and Opinion Makers on each of the topics mentioned above. The Youth participants get to highlight their point of view, agenda for change and question, quiz policy makers on the way forward and get a buy-in to their ideas. In the Youth Parliament the participants are on par with the ministers, policy makers, asking for answers, raising questions and determining an agenda.