Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the events of the National Youth Festival (NYF) on 12 January through video conferencing and will also address the gathering.

The festival will commence on the occasion of birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. The festival is organised by Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in collaboration with state government of Uttar Pradesh at Gautam Buddha University, Gautam Budh Nagar, in Greater Noida from 12 to 16 January, 2018.

The inaugural function will be co-presided by Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath, and Union Minister for State (Independent Charge) of Youth Affairs and Sports Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore. Union Minister for Culture (Independent Charge) Mahesh Sharma will be the guest of honour on the occasion.

This is the first time that the National Youth Festival is being organised in NCR. The objective of organising NYF is to provide a platform to bring the youth of the country together in an attempt to provide them opportunity to showcase their talents in various activities.

NYF is the biggest Youth Festival of its kind in the Country. This is the 22nd National Youth Festival. The 1st National Youth Festival was held in 1995 in Bhopal.

The theme of the festival is ‘Sankalp Se Siddhi’, to capitalise on the demographic dividend of young India, to capture the vibrancy and fresh perspective of youth and to pledge to accomplish the Goal of New India.

The festival also provides an arena, by creating a Mini-India, where youth interact in formal and informal settings and exchange their social and cultural uniqueness. This blend of diverse socio-cultural milieu creates ‘Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat’.

The entire programme is designed to enhance the awareness about government initiatives and exhorting the youth to express their perceptions and concepts of how to make their initiatives more effective.

Around 5000 volunteers of National Service Scheme (NSS) and Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan from all parts of the country along with local accredited youth will participate in the five-day festival. The inauguration will be followed by cultural performance by local and renowned artists. The National Youth Award will also be conferred during the opening ceremony.