Youth Must Be Partners, Not Just Beneficiaries, in Building Viksit Bharat 2047 : Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya

 The three-day Chintan Shivir of Ministers of Youth Affairs & Sports from States and Union Territories commenced today at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), Srinagar. The Shivir is being led by Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, and Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports, Smt. Raksha Nikhil Khadse.

The first day, themed “Samvaad Se Samadhaan”,  focused on strengthening youth engagement frameworks through MY Bharat, with emphasis on policy alignment, institutional convergence and outcome-oriented programme delivery.

In his keynote address, Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya highlighted the importance of inclusive and participatory governance. He stated, “The vision of this Chintan Shivir is to ensure individual involvement by bringing every youth voice into the decision-making process.”

Emphasising India’s demographic strength, he noted, "India has the world’s most powerful demographic dividend, and to realise the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, it is essential that youth are actively involved in shaping policies that will ultimately benefit them.”

He further underlined the need for collaborative nation-building, stating, "We must make youth equal partners in achieving the goals of 2047, not just beneficiaries of schemes.”

Highlighting institutional mechanisms, he added, “Proper nurturing of youth can be achieved through District Youth Officers (DYOs), who can effectively channelise ideas emerging from the grassroots.”

Stress on grassroots strengthening was also reiterated as he said, *"Our groundwork must be strengthened through vibrant youth clubs that can act as the foundation of youth engagement.”