Shillong, January 02 : The Department of Sports and Youth Affairs, Government of Meghalaya, in collaboration with My Bharat Kendra, organised a Meet and Greet programme today with the youth delegates selected for the National Youth Festival – Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue (VBYLD) 2026 at Lok Bhavan, Governor’s House, Shillong.
The programme was graced by the Governor of Meghalaya, C. H. Vijayashankar, who interacted with and felicitated the selected participants.
Addressing the gathering, Governor C. H. Vijayashankar, congratulated the youth delegates for qualifying through a rigorous national-level selection process and representing the aspirations of Meghalaya at the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2026. He emphasised that leadership is not merely a title or position, but a responsibility rooted in character, quality and service to society.
The Governor underscored that true leadership is not about power, but about empowerment, and called upon the youth to remain disciplined, consistent and committed to their goals. He urged the delegates to make meaningful use of the national platform to present ideas that contribute constructively to the vision of a Viksit Bharat. He also cited inspiring examples of young achievers and shared the story of Rifiness Warjri, an NCC cadet from Meghalaya, who, through determination, belief and sustained hard work, scaled Mount Everest at the age of 20. He noted that her achievement demonstrated how clarity of purpose, planning and perseverance can enable youth to overcome challenges and achieve the extraordinary.
Meghalaya has secured representation in the Viksit Bharat – Design for Bharat track, with two students from the National Institute of Technology, Shillong, Nishant Kumar Singh and Necharika Singh, selected at the national level. Their innovation, a Smart Braille Watch, is an assistive wearable device designed to enable visually impaired individuals to access time and notifications through tactile Braille output. The project focuses on affordability, portability and ease of use, addressing limitations associated with existing Braille devices. The innovators are currently in New Delhi preparing to present their project at the national platform in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other experts.
Sharing her aspirations, Ashita Kar, a Class XI student from East Khasi Hills District, said, “This is my second time participating in the National Youth Festival as part of the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue. I will be presenting my vision on building a future-ready workforce for Viksit Bharat, and I hope that the ideas of youth from across the country are heard and implemented towards Viksit Bharat 2047.”
Akbarlang Synteng Nongdhar from East Khasi Hills District, who will represent Meghalaya in the Folk Dance category, expressed his excitement, stating, “I am proud to represent Meghalaya at the national level. As a youth, we look forward to guidance and more such opportunities to showcase our culture, heritage and talent on a national platform.”
Elbonson Marbaniang, a football coach from Mawsynram, East Khasi Hills District, said, “We will be performing the traditional folk dance ‘Ka Shad Mastieh’ in New Delhi. We hope to represent Meghalaya with pride and perform our best in front of delegates from across the country.”
A total of 25 youth from Meghalaya have been selected to participate in the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2026. The delegates were chosen through a multi-stage selection process that began with a nationwide online quiz conducted through the My Bharat Portal in September–October 2025, which witnessed participation from nearly 50 lakh youth across the country. From Meghalaya, 2,393 youth participated in the quiz, out of which 475 qualified for the online essay round.
The qualified participants submitted essays based on ten key themes of the Viksit Bharat Challenge. Following a blind evaluation process conducted by domain experts as per guidelines of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, 88 youth from Meghalaya advanced to the State Championship round. The State Championship was held on 13 December 2025, where participants presented their ideas through PPT presentations before a jury comprising academic, professional and policymaking experts. The final selection for the national level was approved by the Ministry’s appointed moderator after a leadership assessment interview.
In addition, 23 youth artists from Meghalaya will participate in the Cultural Track, presenting traditional folk song and dance, while three youth will compete in declamation, poetry and painting events. These participants were selected from among 1,000 youth who took part in the State-level Chief Minister’s Youth Engagement Programme held at the NEHU campus from 2 to 5 December 2025.
The selected youth delegates will interact with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 11 January 2026 during the National Youth Festival.
The event was attended by S. P. Singh, State Director, My Bharat Kendra; F. Rummong, Deputy Director and State NSS Officer; Paia Nongbri, Deputy Director, Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs; Darlene Khonglam, Sports Officer, Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs; along with officials from My Bharat Kendra and the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs.
The Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue is a key component of the 29th National Youth Festival 2026, scheduled to be held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, from 9th to 12th January 2026. The National Youth Festival comprises four major components, Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue, Viksit Bharat Cultural Tracks, Viksit Bharat Design for Bharat, and Viksit Bharat Hack for Social Change.
