Aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for greater youth involvement in shaping India’s future, the Youth Affairs Ministry has reimagined the National Youth Festival into the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue.

The two-day national event scheduled for January 11 and 12, is a transformative initiative which aims to harness the collective potential of India’s youth, empowering them to contribute holistically to the country’s development.

In fact, the National Youth Policy (NYP) 2014 envisions empowering the youth to reach their full potential, enabling India to take its rightful place on the global stage. The policy outlines five key objectives and identifies 11 priority areas, including education, skill development, employment, entrepreneurship, health and wellness, sports, social values, community engagement, political participation, youth inclusion, and social justice.

Building on the foundation of NYP-2014, the Centre has reviewed and drafted a new version of the National Youth Policy, now available for public feedback. This updated draft presents a ten-year roadmap for youth development, aiming to achieve India’s youth potential by 2030. Aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the new policy is designed to unlock the transformative power of youth to propel India’s progress.

Earlier this week, Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Mansukh Mandaviya, had announced the reimagined National Youth Festival 2025, now called the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue.

In line with that, the dialogue will focus on two key objectives.

First is to bring new youth leaders in politics, responding to the PM’s call during his Independence Day address to engage one lakh youth with non-political background in these spheres. The National Youth Festival is designed to identify and nurture young talent with leadership potential, providing them a platform to share their ideas and vision for a Viksit Bharat directly before the PM.

Secondly, it is to ensure the meaningful contribution of youth towards a Viksit Bharat through a transparent and democratic, merit-based selection system. This initiative underscores the government’s commitment to empowering the next generation to drive India’s progress and development.

In fact, the Viksit Bharat @2047 initiative envisions India as a developed nation by the centenary of its independence in 2047. This transformative roadmap emphasises inclusive development, sustainable progress, and effective governance. At its heart lies the active participation of India’s youth, regarded as the key drivers of this change.

Mr Modi underscored their role, stating, “Youth power is both the agent of change and also the beneficiaries of change”. Keeping this in view, the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue – National Youth Festival 2025 will bring together a dynamic group of young leaders across three key categories. The first group will consist of participants from the newly introduced Viksit Bharat Challenge. The second group will include youth talents selected from district and state-level youth festivals, competing in areas such as painting, science exhibitions, cultural performances, and declamation contests. The third group will showcase exceptional youth icons and trailblazers in fields like entrepreneurship, sports, agriculture, and technology. In total, approximately 3,000 youth will be chosen from these verticals to participate in the national event 2025.

Key highlights include the Viksit Bharat Exhibition, which will feature youth-centric initiatives from States/UTs and Central Ministries; Plenary Sessions with national and global icons engaging in interactive dialogues with the youth; and a Celebration of India’s Heritage, through cultural programs that highlight the vibrancy of India’s traditions alongside its progress.