The concept of Youth Welfare is a brain child of Dr. Kothari Commissions recommendations that the Universities, apart from Teaching and Research, should take care of the third dimension of Higher Education  Extension.

The Kothari Commission felt that Extension was essential for

• making education relevant to real life situations
• preventing the alienation of the educated from the society.
• developing in the educated a responsibility towards society and
• developing the learners knowledge through a wider exposure to real life situation.

One of the major goals of the UGC is to transform the University system into an active instrument for social change through the institutionalization of Extension as the third dimension of Higher Education.

      On the basis of this, with the liberal financial support from the UGC various Universities started Departments for Extension. Some departments were named Department of Adult and Continuing Education, realizing the need to eradicate illiteracy, and some Universities created the Departments of Youth Welfare. The Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, established the Department of Youth Welfare to be its arm for extension.

      From the very beginning, the Department of Youth Welfare is known for its multi - faceted tasks that include apart from Youth Welfare, skill development, personality development, motivation programmes, aesthetic development inculcation of social values and social commitment and empowerment through employment. The present Director, Dr. X. Rosary Mary took charge on 05.01.2007. Now the Department has been recognized as a regular academic Department.

      Owing to the rapid and radical changes that have taken place in the field of trade, industries etc. in the recent past, new demands have been placed on the education system. The students and the Youth have to be prepared by the University to adapt to the changes and learn new skills in accordance with the demands of the world of work. Universities have the responsibility to enhance the employability skills. The Departments of Extension have to play this additional role in this direction which has also been the thrust area of the Department of Youth Welfare of Manonmaniam Sundaranar University. It is in realization of its duty to provide all student services which are not provided within the confines of the class rooms of the Academic Departments and the affiliated colleges that the Department of Youth Welfare plans its activities.

      The Department of Youth Welfare has been entrusted with the task of coordinating & extending all kinds of Youth related activities at the colleges & University Departments. It has been entrusted with the task of organizing the Youth Red Cross activities. The Director of Youth Welfare is the Zonal Coordinator of the Youth Red Cross and has to coordinate the Youth Red Cross activities at the Zonal level.

      It also has to organize placement programmes and train the teachers to, in turn, train the students to prepare themselves. The Youth Coordinators, YRC Programme Officers & Placement Officers in the affiliated colleges collaborate in all the extension activities. The Director, Dept. of Youth Welfare is also the Coordinator of the Placement Cell & organizes placement programmes for our young graduates from the affiliated colleges & University Departments.

      The Department is also running a Yoga Centre and has been conducting Yoga & Positive Health Camps for all the students (including those from the colleges) and has been conducting Yoga classes for University students, teachers & members of the administrative staff.

       The Department is doing extension activities in the form of teaching & learning in the following areas.

The Department has conducted Work shops / Seminars on

• Personal Effectiveness
• Career Guidance
• Leadership
• Gender Awareness
• Health Awareness
• Human Rights
• Capacity Building
• Soft Skills
• Model Youth Parliament
• Interview Techniques
• Life skills Education
• Change & positive attitude
• Decision making & Problem solving
• Effective communication

COORDINATION WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
       Apart from these, the Dept. also coordinates with other organistions like Rajiv Gandhi National Institute for Youth Development (Deemed University), Sriperumbudur, under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and NYK (Nehru Yuvakendra Sangathan) an autonomous body of the Government of India) which works in the interests of non-student youth of the area.

YOUTH RED CROSS
       The Zonal YRC conducts Seminars, Orientation Programmes and Study Camps for students & teachers. The one significant activity which has been most beneficial to the common man of this region is the publication of a Blood Donors� Directory, with phone numbers and addresses of the donors.

YOGA CENTRE
       The Department is also in charge of the University Yoga Centre initially funded by the University Grants Commission. It has some modest infrastructure and two instructors Ms. Jeyalakshmi and Mr. Andiappan.
      During Day time, the members of the staff and the students practice Yoga at the Yoga Centre. The centre also conducts Yoga Camps in the affiliated colleges. Apart from that, Yoga practice forms part of every residential camp organized by the Department of Youth Welfare.

      Further, the Department conducts Yoga and Positive Health residential Camps for Boys and Girls separately every year.

PLACEMENT CELL
       The Department of Youth Welfare is in-charge of the Placement Cell. The Director, Department of Youth Welfare is the Coordinator of the Placement Cell.
      It coordinates with many industries and employment counsellors and organizes Job Fairs at the University. 352 students got jobs at the Job Fairs last year. Apart from these, other students, for whom we have created contacts are also getting employed.
      It also conducts Workshops for students to enhance their employability skills and for teachers under ,Train the Trainers, programme.

Companies that Visited
     1. Orchid Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals , Chennai
     2. HCL Technologies , Chennai
     3. Hindustan Lever Ltd , Chennai
     4. Mega Foods , Chennai
     5. India Infoline , Chennai
     6. Samjass Ltd , Chennai
     7. Sanmar Specialty Chemical Ltd. , Chennai
     8. Reliance HR Services,  Chennai
     9. ABN Amro Bank,  Chennai
     10. Nicholas Pharmaceuticals
     11. Life Insurance Corporation of India
     12. M.W.M. Pharmaceuticals.
     13. ICICI Bank,  Chennai

UNIVERSITY STUDENTS ADVISORY BUREAU (USAB)
       The University Students Advisory Bureau under the Department of Youth Welfare functions with Dr. N. Rajalingam as Coordinator-in-charge. The USAB tries to provide Career Guidance and Counseling to the students of the University Departments.

CIVIL SERVICES COACHING PROGRAMME
       The Department is conducting Civil Services Coaching Programmme from 1996 with 2 years break in between. This year (2008) with 46 students it is functioning effectively.

• A book titled �IAS, IPS, Thervukalil vetri uruthi� (Sure Success in IAS and IPS Exams) by Dr.K.M.Pathusa, former Registrar, MSU was published by the Department in 2000
• A Question Bank was prepared
• A good Library with 3,000 books has been established

• Cultural Rally ( 26.03.07)
• 14th Youth Festival , University Level - 40 Colleges & more than 1000 students participated in 30 events. ( 26.03.07 & 27.03.07).
• 15th Youth Festival ,  University Level - 50 Colleges & more than 1500 students participated in 32 events. ( 02.10.07 & 03.10.07).
• 38 Students participated in the South Zone Inter University Youth Festival at Sri Padmavathi Mahila Visva Vidyalaya Womens University, Tirupathi, got prizes in two events  Creative Dance & Folk Orchestra ( 12.11.07 to 16.11.07)
• Cultural Rally to observe International Day of Non-violence  Tirunelveli ( 02.10.07)
• A 33 member team represented the University at the Zonal Youth Festival at the University of Calicut, Kerala (10.12.08 to 14.12.08).
• 16th Youth Festival  University Level - 46 Colleges & more than 1500 students participated in 26 events. ( 24.01.09 & 25.01.09).