New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday spent around six hours with young leaders, ten of whom gave presentations on various topics ranging from sustainable development to integrating technology with agriculture.
The Young India Leaders Dialogue was held from 10 am till 4 pm as part of PM Modi’s Viksit Bharat (Developed India) vision, aiming at the country’s development by 2047. “A developed India will be the one that is empowered economically, strategically, socially and culturally,” he added.
Around 3,000 young minds from across the country participated in these discussions, where Mr Modi also presented some ideas of his own. He also urged the youth to step out of their comfort zones to achieve these objectives. Achieving ambitious goals requires the active participation and collective effort of every citizen of the nation, he added.
PM Modi emphasised the need for setting big goals, citing the examples of US’s rise following the 1930s economic crisis and Singapore’s rise. He also cited examples of India succeeding in becoming an open defecation-free country, and the management of the coronavirus pandemic.
PM Modi urged the youth to become catalysts for change, drawing from the innovative ideas shared throughout the day.
The enthusiasm and optimism I saw also highlight the immense potential of our youth as changemakers driving the nation forward.
I also told my young friends that the ownership of this Viksit Bharat movement is with them and the success of today’s programme further cements it! pic.twitter.com/ZavG1UihYj
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 12, 2025
Discussion of ideas was also held during a lunch the Prime Minister held with the youth leaders, among them young girls from the North East region.
The Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue aimed to break the 25-year-old tradition of holding the National Youth Festival in a conventional manner. The meticulously crafted, merit-based multi-level selection process was designed to identify and showcase the most motivated and dynamic young voices from across the nation. It included three stages with participants ranging from 15-29 years.
The first stage, the Viksit Bharat Quiz, was conducted in 12 languages for youth from all states to take part. It saw the participation of around 30 lakh young minds. Qualified quiz participants progressed to the 2nd stage, the essay round, where they articulated their ideas on ten pivotal themes critical to realizing the vision of a “Viksit Bharat”, which saw over two lakh essays being submitted. In the third stage, 25 candidates per theme advanced to participate in rigorous in-person competitions.
