NEW DELHI, June 14 � A unique project �Youth on the Edge� is being launched to promote adventure activities in the Northeast by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) through North Eastern Council (NEC).
�We have devised the project with the primary objective of encouraging movements of youth from the rest of India to the border areas of the north-eastern States to participate in structured adventure activities,� Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Bijoy Krishna Handique said, announcing the launch of a programme here today.
This is the first time that the DoNER Ministry has taken up any programme to attract youth from other parts of India to the Northeast. The project would be implemented by the DoNER through the NEC to encourage adventure activities in the region.
Under the programme, participants would get a chance to know the cultural heritage and local traditions of the NE. �We plan to send selected representatives from the region to visit the rest of India. A talent scouting process will be done to identify prospective talents in adventure tourism who will be sent for specialised training in the National Mountaineering Institutes,� he added.
A pilot project is proposed to be launched and from the next year the programme may be brought under the 12th Plan, Handique added.
In the pilot project, three trekking trails � two from Arunachal Pradesh and one from Mizoram � have been identified in consultation with the State governments and necessary ground recce.
The adventure activities proposed include mountaineering, skiing, trekking and rock climbing; water-based adventure sports like sailing, rowing and water skiing, besides and aerial activities like para-gliding, hand gliding, micro-lite flying.
