The spectral and reddening properties of 211 highly reddened proper motion members with V < 15 mag in 6 young galactic star clusters are investigated using low resolution spectroscopic , broad-band UBVRIJHK and mid-IR data .
We report emission features in CaII HK and HI lines for a sample of 29 stars including 11 stars reported for the first time and also provide either a new or more reliable spectral class for a sample of 24 stars .
CaII triplet width measurements are used to indicate the presence of an accretion disk for a dozen stars and to hint luminosity for a couple of stars .
On the basis of spectral features , near-IR excesses , dereddened color-color diagrams and mid-IR spectral indices we identify a group of 28 pre-main sequence cluster members including 5 highly probable Herbig Ae/Be and 6 classical T Tauri star .
A total of 25 non-emission MS stars , amounting to \sim 10 % early type MS members , appears to show Vega-like characteristics or are precursors to such a phenomenon .
The various membership indicators suggest that \sim 16 % of the PM members are non-members .
A significant fraction ( > 70 % ) of program stars in NGC 1976 , NGC 2244 , NGC 6530 and NGC 6611 show anomalous reddening with R _ { V } = 5.11 \pm 0.11 , 3.60 \pm 0.05 , 3.87 \pm 0.05 
and 3.56 \pm 0.02 , respectively , indicating the presence of grain size dust larger than that typical to the diffuse medium .
A small number of stars in NGC 1976 , NGC 2244 and NGC 6611 also show normal behavior while the cluster NGC 6823 appears to have a normal reddening .
Three highly luminous late type giants , one in NGC 2244 and two in NGC 6530 , appears to be member and are in post-hydrogen-core-burning stages suggesting a prolonged duration ( \sim 25 Myrs ) of star formation .