Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 5: India will head the first Asian Youth Hostelling Union representing all youth hostel organizations in the continent that will promote efforts to provide adequate accommodation to young people.
Mohammad Shafi Pandit, a retired IAS officer from Jammu and Kashmir, will be chairperson of the newly created body which will take forward the youth hostelling movement in the Asian region.
Pandit was entrusted the new responsibility at a meeting of the International Youth Hostelling held here recently which was attended by representatives from across the world.
The Asia Youth Hostelling Union will represent all the youth hostelling organizations of the Asia region. The union will promote collaborative efforts among Asian countries in boosting hotel facilities for youths on a long term basis.
Speaking on the occasion, Pandit, currently national president of Youth Hostel Association of India, highlighted the need to make the youth hostel movement more vibrant by making it large youth-led and improving participation of women in its affairs.
The Youth Hostel Association of India (YHAI) has been associated with the International Youth Hostelling which has a network in over 90 countries.
YHAI is an associate member and part of the Hostelling International, UK, since 1952, which has a network of more than 95 youth hostels, starting from Leh-Ladakh to the Andaman and Nicobar islands.
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