JAMMU: Secretary, Youth Services and Sports, Sarmad Hafeez, today chaired a meeting regarding participation of J&K youth in National Youth Festival (NYF) now restructured as Viksit Bharat Young Leader’s Dialogue 2025 and various Youth Engagement programs on MY Bharat Portal. While briefing about the NYF, the Secretary informed that as per the past practice, the National Youth Festival will be celebrated on the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, taking place on January 11th and 12th, 2025, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
The Prime Minister will address the youth during this significant event. This year, the festival has been reimagined and restructured as the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2025, which aims to create a platform for the next generation of leaders. The event and initiatives, which aim to engage youth in a meaningful and impactful way, reflect the government's commitment towards fostering the leadership skills of the next generation.
A four-stage competition will be held to select participants between the age group of 15 to 29. The Secretary urged all departments to encourage maximum youth participation by enrolling or registering them on the portal . The Viksit Bharat Quiz shall be hosted online on mybharat.gov.in, which is already live on the Portal from November 25th to December 5th, 2024.
The Secretary shared that over 36,500 youth of J&K have already been registered for the Stage 1 of the event till date. He also informed that each State/ Union Territory (UT) will nominate 10 youth icons who have distinguished themselves in their respective fields. These individuals will be felicitated by the Prime Minister during the event in New Delhi, serving as role models and inspiring others to reach their fullest potential
The Secretary, while elaborating on the My Bharat Portal, said it is an initiative launched by the Government of India to build the capacity of youth, enhance their leadership abilities, provide mentorship and encourage community engagement. The portal will act as a bridge between youth and government agencies, facilitating experiential learning and providing hands-on training in various government departments, he added. In return, these departments will benefit from the energy and innovation brought by young participants, helping to improve service delivery across India.
Nodal Officer from National Yuva Kendra (NYK), presented a detailed overview of the National Youth Festival and the My Bharat Experiential Learning Programs. He also informed that the UGC has recently allowed the Universities and Colleges to give Educational Credit Points to the youth who complete various assignments through MY Bharat. He further outlined the structure of the competition and the rewards, with cash prizes for the winners as Rs 1 lakh for the first place, Rs. 75,000 for the second and Rs. 50,000 for the third position. An additional 300 participants will receive cash prizes of Rs. 2,000 and Rs. 1,000, respectively, for their contributions.
The Secretary also requested all the departments to nominate a Nodal Officer for the My Bharat portal. These officers will be responsible for onboarding their departments, approving field functionaries, and overseeing activities on the portal. Field functionaries will play a key role in creating and publishing Experiential Learning Projects (ELPs) by identifying tasks for the youth.
Among others who attended the meeting in person were Director General Youth Services and Sports Rajinder Singh Tara, Director Colleges Sheikh Ajaz Bashir, Director Urban Local Bodies Jammu Manisha Sareen, Labour Commissioner Charandeep Singh, Special Secretary YSS Jyoti Salathia, Director NYKS Nisar Ahmed Butt, Deputy Commissioners from across the UT and the representatives from various department participated online.
