Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur on Friday launched themes, logo and website of the Y20 summit at a curtain-raiser event of the summit being held for the first time in India.

Speaking on the occasion, the minister said, “The future of the world economy and humanity rests in the hands of the Gen Z, today’s youth are born into a digital, globalised and constantly evolving world filled with uncertainty, immense pace, potential and limitless possibilities.”

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“Young people are stakeholders in the present and builders of tomorrow. We have progressed across sectors with the spirit of Atma Nirbhar Bharat and Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat. There is a start-up revolution in the country. It is important to remember that the Youth will inherit the future they build,” he said.

The minister said, “The Y20 Summit is a unique opportunity to allow the youth to provide constructive policy inputs and to utilise the platform to voice their opinions for the world audience.”

The Summit brings together “the trustees of our future generations from across the G20 countries to deliberate, discuss and deduce innovative, sustainable and actionable solutions especially in the realm of social development,” he told a packed Akashvani Rang Bhawan.

Thakur said: “At the Y20 Summit, India will not only speak; but also provide an audience to youth from across the world, to be heard in the world’s largest democracy amongst those young leaders geared up with the baton to the future.”

“The Youth Summit is a unique opportunity to present your vision and idea and come up with a series of recommendations which will be submitted to the G20 leaders,” he told the young delegates at the ceremony.

Thakur announced the themes of the Summit as “Future of Work: Industry 4.0, Innovation & 21st Century skills, ii) Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction: Making Sustainability a way of life, iii) Peacebuilding and Reconciliation: Ushering in an era of No War, iv) Shared Future: Youth in Democracy and Governance and Health, Wellbeing & Sports: Agenda for Youth.”

“These priority areas of the Y20 Summit point to the urgency with which the world has to reconcile with the reality of the changing times in our quest to survive and thrive,” the minister added.

The future of the world economy and humanity lies in the hands of the young. Today, the young are restless and ready to make an impact in the world right here and right now.

Indian youth too is fast emerging as pioneers and fast adapters of new technology.

The Indian youth is leveraging technology and have adopted the start-up culture, providing pragmatic solutions to socio-economic problems. There is much to learn from mutual experiences during the Y20 Summit.

Thakur said it is a historic moment for India as it has been given the Presidency of the G20 nations’ group under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. For the first time, heads of 43 delegations will participate in the G20 Summit in India, the largest number in the G20 history, in September this year.

He said the G20 events will be held all over India to allow the delegates to have the flavour of Indian diversity and history, and a glimpse of India’s rapidly transforming nation.

Thakur said, “I hope you will use the Y20 opportunity to also educate us and own the responsibility of ensuring that the declaration you finally present to the G20 Leaders is one that fulfils the hopes and dreams of all the youth – rural and urban, in the developed and developing world.”

Addressing the event, Youth Affairs Secretary Meeta R Lochan said activities to be undertaken by Y20 during the Indian presidency will focus on global youth leadership and partnership.

For the next eight months, there will be Pre summits on the five Y20 themes along with various discussions and seminars at different Universities across states in India in a run-up to the final Youth-20 Summit.

Present at the ceremony were Mentor, Y20 Secretariat, India Dr Vijay Chauthaiwale; Chair for the Youth 20 Engagement Group Anmol Sovit, and senior officers of the Ministry. A panel Discussion on “How India can harness its youth population to be a superpower” was also held in the second session of today’s event.