PM inaugurates 25th National Youth Festival in Puducherry

Published By : Admin | January 12, 2022 | 11:01 IST
Unveils selected essays on “Mere Sapno ka Bharat” and “Unsung Heroes of Indian Freedom Movement”
Inaugurates an MSME Technology Centre and Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Manimandapam - an auditorium with open-air theatre
“India’s demography is young, and the mind of India is also young. There is youth in India’s potential, and in its dreams. India is young in its thoughts as well as in its consciousness”
“India considers its youth as a demographic dividend as well as a development driver”
“The youth of India have the ability for hard work and also have a clarity about the future. That is why what India says today, the world considers it to be the voice of tomorrow”
“Youth’s ability is not burdened by old stereotypes. This youth can evolve itself and society according to new challenges”
“Today’s youth has a ‘Can Do’ spirit which is a source of inspiration for every generation”
“India’s youths are writing the code of global prosperity”
“Mantra of New India - Compete and Conquer. Get involved and win. Unite and win the battle”
Calls upon the youth to research and write about the freedom fighters who did not get the recognition they deserved

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the 25th National Youth Festival in Puducherry, via video conferencing today. Today, being the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda is observed as National Youth Day. During the event, the Prime Minister unveiled selected essays on “Mere Sapno ka Bharat” and “Unsung Heroes of Indian Freedom Movement”. These essays have been selected from submissions by over 1 lakh youth on the two themes. The Prime Minister also inaugurated a Technology Centre of the MSME Ministry, established at Puducherry with an investment of about Rs. 122 crore. The Prime Minister also inaugurated the Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Manimandapam - an auditorium with an open-air theatre, constructed by the Government of Puducherry at a cost of about Rs 23 crores. Union Ministers Shri Anurag Singh Thakur, Shri Narayan Rane, Shri Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma and Shri Nisith Pramanik, Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan Chief Minister of Puducherry Shri N. Rangaswamy, State Ministers and Parliamentarians were among those present on the occasion.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister greeted the nation on National Youth Day. Bowing to Swami Vivekananda, the Prime Minister said his birth anniversary in this year of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is all the more inspiring. The Prime Minister noted the added significance of this year as the celebration of the 150th birth anniversary of Sri Aurobindo and also the 100th death anniversary of Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathi is falling in the same year. “Both these sages have a special relationship with Puducherry. Both have been partners in each other's literary and spiritual journey”, the Prime Minister said.

Commenting on the young profile of the ancient country, the Prime Minister said today, the world looks at India with hope and faith. Because, India’s demography is young, and the mind of India is also young. There is youth in India’s potential, and in its dreams. India is young in its thoughts as well as in its consciousness. India’s thinking and philosophy have always accepted change and there is modernity in its antiquity, he said. The Prime Minister said that the youth of the country have always come forward in times of need. Whenever the national consciousness gets divided, youth like Shankar come and stitch the country in the thread of unity as Aadi Shankracharya. In times of tyranny, sacrifices of youth like the Sahibjaade of Guru Gobind Singh Ji guide us even today. When India needed sacrifice for its freedom, young revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad and Netaji Subhas came forward to dedicate their lives to the country. Whenever the country needs spiritual regeneration, sages like Aurobindo and Subramnayan Bharathi come to the scene, the Prime Minister added.

The Prime Minister said the youth of India have democratic values along with the demographic dividend, their democratic dividend is also incomparable. India considers its youth as a demographic dividend as well as a development driver, he emphasised. The Prime Minister stressed that today, if the youth of India has the charm of technology, then there is also the consciousness of democracy. Today, if the youth of India has the ability for hard work, then there is also clarity about the future. That is why what India says today, the world considers it to be the voice of tomorrow.

The Prime Minister said the young generation at the time of independence did not hesitate for a moment to sacrifice everything for the country. But today's youth has to live for the country and fulfil the dreams of our freedom fighters. He added that the youth’s ability is not burdened by old stereotypes, he knows how to shake them. This youth can evolve itself and society according to new challenges, new demands and can create new ones. The Prime Minister remarked that today's youth has a 'Can Do' spirit which is a source of inspiration for every generation.

The Prime Minister lauded that today, India’s youths are writing the code of global prosperity. The Indian youth is a force to be reckoned with in the unicorn ecosystem all over the world. India today has a strong ecosystem of over 50,000 startups. Out of which, more than 10 thousand startups came up amidst the challenge of the Pandemic. The Prime Minister gave the mantra of New India - Compete and Conquer. That is, get involved and win. Unite and win the battle. The Prime Minister cited the performance in Olympics and Paralympics and participation of youth in the vaccination drive as proof of will to win and a sense of responsibility among the youth.

The Prime Minister noted that the Government believes that sons and daughters are equal. With this thinking, the government has decided to raise the age of marriage to 21 years for the betterment of daughters. Daughters can also make their career, they get more time, this is a very important step in this direction, he remarked.

The Prime Minister said we have had many such fighters in the freedom struggle, whose contribution did not get the recognition that they deserved. The more our youth write, research about such dignitaries, the more awareness will increase in the coming generations of the country, he added. He also called upon the youth to be vocal and contribute in the drive for cleanliness.

The National Youth Festival aims to shape the minds of India's youth and transform them into a united force for nation-building. It is one of the biggest exercises in social cohesion and intellectual & cultural integration. It aims to bring diverse cultures of India and integrate them into a united thread of 'Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat'.

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India-Australia Roadmap for Sports Collaboration
July 10, 2026

Sports is a powerful bridge between India and Australia, bringing communities together and opening new pathways for collaboration.

Building on the 2023 MoU on Cooperation in Sports, the India-Australia Roadmap for Sports Collaboration sets out practical, future-focused priorities and opportunities to strengthen this cornerstone of our bilateral relationship.

Recognising the decade of opportunity ahead — including the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad, the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and India’s ambition to host a future Olympic and Paralympic Games — this Roadmap identifies targeted areas of cooperation aligned to shared priorities, capabilities and resources.

Respecting differences in the governance of sport and the development of sport ecosystems in Australia and India, and recognising the leadership role of sporting bodies, businesses, state–level governments, universities and community groups in promoting elite and community sports, we are committed to facilitating engagement and supporting collaborative ways of working between relevant institutions, to encourage stronger sports partnerships at all levels that benefits both countries.

Implementation will be pragmatic and outcomes-focused, with activities prioritised in line with available resources and major event timelines.

Cooperation will be delivered through established partnerships, supported by flexible, demand-led arrangements, whereby responsibility for resourcing activities will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis. This approach ensures practical, sustainable and mutually beneficial outcomes.

In this context, the following have been identified as focus areas for collaboration under this Roadmap:

A. Capacity Building:

o Collaborate for sharing best practice in establishing and operating High-Performance Sports Centres in India in priority sports.

o Identify Para sport as a key priority and opportunity for collaboration, including Australian expertise in Para classification, coaching and performance support, with potential links between Indian and Australian universities where appropriate.

o Drawing on Australia’s coach development models, facilitate two-way exchanges that bring Indian coach and coach educators to Australia and Australian coaches and coach educators to India, using a Train the Trainer approach where appropriate.

o A physical education exchange programme between India and Australia may be introduced to facilitate mutual learning, sharing of best practices, and collaboration in areas such as school sports, sports science, and community participation in physical education.

o Recognising the physical and mental health benefits of yoga and the World Yogasana, the federation for yogasana sports based in India, identify opportunities to share knowledge, foster collaboration and encourage participation in yoga in Australia.

o Work with the Australian Sports Commission to build the capability of select Indian coaches as part of the India Australia High Performance Coach Development program.

o Explore opportunities through relevant non-government stakeholders such as sporting organisations and universities to support talented young Indian sportspersons as part of high-performance programs in Australia through student scholarships funded by Government of India.

B. Collaborative Sports Science and Technology Research:

o Encourage joint research and development projects between universities in India and Australia on athlete performance analytics, injury prevention, sports nutrition, wearable performance technology, recovery techniques and Para sport.

o Encourage partnerships between Indian and Australian universities to co-develop sports curriculums.

o Sport Integrity Australia and National Anti-Doping Agency India contribute to international anti-doping efforts by supporting World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-led capacity building programs through engagement with the WADA Asia/Oceania Office, and through representation on the UNESCO International Convention against Doping in Sport (Convention) Groups.

C. Major Sporting Events:

o Collaborate with Australian States and Territories, and National Sporting Organisations to exchange best practices for hosting large events.

o Explore opportunities to host exhibition matches and youth events in both countries to promote sports of mutual interest (such as Kabaddi and Kho Kho in Australia, and Australian Football League and basketball in India).

o Leverage the build-up to major sporting events such as Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games to establish formal, reciprocal arrangements between Indian and Australian sporting bodies for shared facilities, competitions and support networks during and in the build-up to major sporting events.

o Welcoming the inaugural Big Bash League match to be played in India in Chennai in December 2026, encourage Cricket Australia and the Board of Control for Cricket in India to work towards a commitment to host annual BBL matches in India.

D. Sports Industry and Investment Platform:

o Build on the Australia-funded Sports Industry Summit in Mumbai in December 2026 to promote collaboration between Indian and Australian companies on sports equipment manufacturing, sports media and broadcasting, event management, and sports start-ups.

o Facilitate Australian sports sector businesses in the Indian sports market through information sessions and vice-versa.

o Expand India’s export of high quality, competitively priced sports goods to Australia.

o Expand the export of Australian expertise in high performance sports, including coaching, coach development, strength and conditioning, athlete wellbeing, nutrition and psychology.

E. Women in Sports Partnership:

o Launch joint initiatives promoting women’s leadership, health, high performance and participation in sport, including bilateral tournaments for women athletes, drawing on the Australian Sports Commission’s flagship programs, recognising that sport is a powerful pathway for women’s economic empowerment, leadership, health and social inclusion.