Panel recommends monitoring committee for scouts and guides' bodies

A high-level committee under the Union Youth Affairs Ministry has recommended appointment of a permanent monitoring committee for regular audit of two scouts and guides' bodies, which, the inquiry panel alleged, have been mired in "financial irregularities".
The committee, set up about two months ago by the ministry, inquired into the functioning of century-old volunteer bodies - Bharat Scouts and Guides, and the Hindustan Scouts and Guides - and today submitted its final report to Union Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Vijay Goel at his office here.
"When it comes to financial management of the two bodies, there are irregularities and norms are being flouted. We recommend that a permanent monitoring committee be appointed for their regular audit, and its report be submitted regularly to the ministry," convener of the committee, S K Bhattacharya said.

"Also, an external chartered accountant be appointed by the ministry for conducting regular audit of accounts," he said.
After submitting the report to Goel, Bhattacharya and other members of the panel also held an interaction with the minister and urged him to ensure implementation of the recommendations.
Goel said, "We have accepted the report and the ministry will now formulate an action plan on it as to the implementation of the recommendations."

The high-level committee has also recommended that greater transparency be brought in the process to select candidates for the Rashtrapati Puraskar (President's Award).
"As of now, only the Bharat Scouts and Guides members are considered for selecting candidates for the President's Award. We recommend that its ambit be widened to include Hindustan Scouts and Guides as well," Bhattacharya said.

During the meeting with Goel, Bhattacharya and other panel members alleged that the question paper for the examination to be undertaken for selecting candidates for the award have been "leaked" in the past.
Goel said his ministry would take cognisance of this and do the needful to expand the ambit of selection procedure.
The committee has also recommended enlarging the enrolment strength from current 70 lakh to 2 crore, besides revision of its "outdated curriculum" in consonance with latest plans of the government.
"The committee has also suggested to us to have more number of organisations which can be given recognition to take scouts and guides activities. Only two organisations are not enough to run the system, so we will look into that," Goel said.

Other recommendations include constituting a committee of experts to prepare the guidelines for scouts and guides activities, setting up of a training centre, and release of grant on the basis of project details submitted, instead of being awarded ad-hoc.
"At least one of the volunteer activities, like NCC, NSS, or scouts and guides, should be made compulsory in each school, CBSE or state government board-run," the committee's convener recommended.
According to the ministry officials, Bharat Scouts and Guides, and Hindustan Scouts and Guides, both receive Rs 75 lakh each per year as grant from the Centre.
"Besides, they get funds from respective state governments as well as through the membership fee," an official said.

Goel said the two scouts bodies have played important roles in building discipline and work ethics among the youth and hence they need to be restructured so they can also contribute in spreading awareness about the government's programmes.