Key Highlights:

• Governor of Puducherry Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan and Chief Minister of Puducherry Shri N. Rangaswamy and MoS YAS Shri Nisith Pramanik also graced the event

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, Governor of Puducherry Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, Chief Minister of Puducherry Shri N. Rangaswamy, State Ministers, Parliamentarians and Secretary, Youth Affairs Smt Usha Sharma 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 period 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 period. “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 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. The Prime Minister remarked that today's youth has a 'Can Do' spirit which is a source of inspiration for every generation.

Kindly click the link for Prime Minister’s full speech

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1789347

During his address, Shri Anurag Thakur thanked the Prime Minister for addressing the youth on the important occasion of Nation Youth Day today. Shri Thakur said that Swami Vivekananda is a great source of inspiration for all of us whose birth anniversary is celebrated as the National Youth Day on 12th January. We have a lot to learn from the life of Swami Vivekanand who presented India’s message and viewpoint at the international forum and strengthened country’s image in the world, the Minister elaborated.  Shri Anurag Thakur further said that while our   country is surging ahead under the able leadership of our Prime Minister, the youth are also fully prepared to give the country a new direction under the guidance of the Prime Minister.

 Shri Thakur said that as we are celebrating Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, we must not forget that lakhs of youth sacrificed their lives for the freedom of the country. Accordingly, the youth now should work hard to ensure that the country achieves new heights by the time we reach 100th year of our Independence.

Shri Anurag Thakur reiterated that the Prime Minister has a special place for the sportspersons and the youth in his heart. Sportspersons have brought laurels for the country at Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. At the same time, Prime Minister’s Fit India campaign, the mantra of Fitness Ka Dose Aadha Ghanta Roz and Khelo India programme have encouraged sports among youth in the country.

Shri Thakur further added that the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has promoted Skill India which has helped to impart skills to crores of youth. Prime Minister’s thrust to Start-Up India programme has placed India among the top three start-up nations of the world. Shri Thakur requested the youth that while our Prime Minister is working to take the country to new heights, each one of us should choose and dedicate ourselves to one area where we want to bring change.

The Minister also highlighted the greatness of Sri Aurobindo, a poet, patriot, philosopher, maharishi, a yoga guru whose 150th birth anniversary is also being celebrated. 

Giving highlights of the National Youth Festival, the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports said, “During the youth festival, experts from different fields like Sports including Olympians, Environment, Climate, Technology, Entrepreneurship including leaders of start-ups, History, Natural farming will guide and share their experience with youth”.

The Chief Minister of Puducherry Shri N. Rangsamy said that Puducherry is feeling proud to host such a promising event and personally he feels honoured to be a part of this great young India building event.  “Education without Character, Wealth without Charity…!! Commerce without Morality, Science without Humanity…!! Are not only useless, but also dangerous…!!” he added. Character, charity, morality, humanity, probity are nothing but the important values for an Ideal Indian Youth  anda ‘Sashakt Yuva” will have all these characteristics, Shri Rangasamy added.

The Chief Minister said that Puducherry protected many great leaders during the freedom struggle. Great leaders like Maharishi Sri Aurobindo, Mahakavi Bharathi, VVS Iyer lived in the UT of Puducherry escaping the dreadful clutches of the British. “Puducherry is popularly known as Gnana Boomi or Veda Boomi. In this holiest place of Puducherry. We are honoured that Our Hon’ble Prime Minister is inaugurating the ‘Kamaraj Mani Mandapam’, he said.

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NB/OA