Shillong, May 29: Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, on Friday said that MY Bharat has emerged as a nationwide movement and aims to reach every district, block and young citizen across the country to strengthen youth participation in nation-building.
He was speaking during the inaugural session of a two-day Chintan Shivir organised by the Department of Youth Affairs at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Shillong. The event has brought together officers of the Department, MY Bharat and the National Service Scheme (NSS) to discuss strategies for strengthening youth engagement and improving programme implementation.
The programme was attended by Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Nikhil Khadse, Meghalaya Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Wailadmiki Shylla, Secretary of the Department of Youth Affairs Dr. Pallavi Jain Govil, Additional Secretary Nitesh Kumar Mishra, MY Bharat CEO Dr. Priyanka Shukla and youth officers from across the country.
Addressing the gathering, Dr. Mandaviya said MY Bharat currently has over 2.17 crore youth volunteers and has grown into a major platform for public participation. He stressed the importance of National Youth Volunteers serving as community leaders and called on District Youth Officers and NSS officers to strengthen grassroots youth development initiatives.
The Union Minister also announced a nationwide anti-drug campaign from June 26 to August 15 and programmes in 150 educational institutions to commemorate 150 years of Vande Mataram. He reiterated the government’s commitment to establishing MY Bharat Centres in all 783 districts of the country and encouraged greater participation of youth from the Northeast in national development initiatives.
Minister of State Raksha Nikhil Khadse said the Chintan Shivir aims to facilitate the sharing of ideas, best practices and field experiences among officers to help achieve the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 through youth-led development. She also highlighted the Northeast’s strong sports culture and stressed the need for closer coordination with state governments and district administrations.
Secretary, Department of Youth Affairs, Dr. Pallavi Jain Govil, said the main objective of the programme is to identify challenges, exchange experiences and develop practical solutions that can be implemented effectively on the ground.
The first day of the Chintan Shivir featured discussions on transformational leadership, youth club best practices, digital engagement through the MY Bharat Portal, volunteering opportunities and strengthening institutional mechanisms under MY Bharat and NSS. Representatives from several states also shared successful models of youth mobilisation and community engagement.
Officials said the deliberations focused on enhancing grassroots youth engagement, strengthening institutional coordination and improving the impact of youth-centric programmes across the country.
