Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai stresses greater participation of youth in nation-building and directs officials to expand My Bharat opportunities across Chhattisgarh, particularly in Bastar
Raipur: Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Tuesday emphasised the importance of harnessing the energy, creativity, talent and innovative potential of young people to accelerate the development of Chhattisgarh and the country.
Addressing a high-level review meeting of My Bharat in Raipur, the Chief Minister called for strengthening the youth network from the village level to the state level and ensuring that young people are actively connected with nation-building activities.
CM Sai directed officials to expand the participation of Bastar’s youth in My Bharat activities and create new opportunities for them in leadership, skill development, sports, social service and other fields.
More than 2.65 crore young people across India are currently registered with My Bharat, while more than 6.60 lakh youth from Chhattisgarh have joined the platform.
Youth Are the Driving Force Behind Viksit Bharat
CM Sai said India is among the world’s youngest countries and that the energy, talent, creativity and capacity for innovation among its youth represent one of the country’s biggest strengths.
He stressed that the vision of Viksit Bharat and Viksit Chhattisgarh can be achieved by providing young people with opportunities suited to their interests and abilities and connecting them more extensively with nation-building.
He also emphasised involving youth in social and community activities to develop leadership skills, a spirit of service, social responsibility and commitment towards the nation.
“Every young person should become part of the mainstream of development and play a role in nation-building. My Bharat has been created as a broad platform with this objective. Prime Minister Narendra Modi considers youth power a key foundation of the vision of Viksit Bharat,” CM Sai said.
Digital Youth Need the Right Opportunities
The Chief Minister said today’s youth are highly connected through technology and digital platforms and have a broad outlook and strong capacity to adapt to rapid change.
He said this energy should be channelled towards constructive activities in the national interest by providing young people with the right platforms, opportunities and guidance.
“Tomorrow’s leadership will come from today’s youth. Therefore, planned efforts must begin now to develop leadership abilities and connect young people with social responsibilities,” he said.
Youth Participation to Expand Across Multiple Sectors
CM Sai called for greater participation of young people in areas including:
- Healthcare and sanitation
- Education and sports
- Environmental protection
- Civic responsibility
- History and tourism
- Skill development
- Agriculture
- Technical education
- Disaster management
- Social welfare
He said My Bharat should be used to provide young people with practical opportunities in areas where their participation can make a meaningful contribution.
Such engagement, he noted, would provide youth with valuable practical experience while ensuring that their creativity and energy are utilised for the benefit of society and the state.
Over 2.65 Crore Youth Registered on My Bharat
The meeting was informed that My Bharat, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 31, 2023, serves as a digital and physical platform connecting young people with government programmes, social initiatives and nation-building activities.
More than 2.65 crore youth have registered on the platform nationwide, including over 6.60 lakh from Chhattisgarh.
The platform is being developed as a single-window digital interface between young people and the government, providing information about volunteering, experiential learning, skill development, leadership opportunities and nation-building programmes.
A dedicated My Bharat mobile application has also been developed for young users.
Experiential Learning Creating Practical Opportunities
According to information presented at the meeting, more than 24,900 Experiential Learning Programmes (ELPs) have been conducted nationwide, providing practical exposure to more than 1.21 lakh young people.
In Chhattisgarh, 233 ELPs have connected more than 2,389 youth with various government activities.
Similarly, more than 1.53 lakh volunteering opportunities across the country have connected over 10 lakh youth with service activities. In Chhattisgarh, 5,778 volunteer opportunities have enabled more than 23,900 young people to participate in different activities.
Government awareness programmes have also used quiz modules to engage more than 65 lakh youth nationwide.
Youth Network to Extend from Villages to State Level
The meeting highlighted the organisational structure of My Bharat, which includes its headquarters, offices across 36 states and Union Territories, district-level offices, youth clubs and My Bharat volunteers.
This network is being used to connect young people with programmes and opportunities from the grassroots level to the state level.
CM Sai stressed that young people should be encouraged to participate in non-political social and creative activities. He said identifying individual interests and talents and providing suitable opportunities would help develop personality, leadership skills and a stronger sense of social responsibility.
Focus on Viksit Chhattisgarh Young Leaders Dialogue
CM Sai described the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue as an important initiative for developing leadership among young people.
The meeting was informed that more than 30 lakh participants took part in the programme in 2025. A multi-level selection process has been adopted to ensure that youth leaders are selected through a fair, transparent and merit-based system.
Discussions were also held on organising a Viksit Chhattisgarh Young Leaders Dialogue in the state.
The initiative is expected to promote youth participation in areas such as sports, healthcare, panchayati raj and rural development, technical education and skill development, social welfare, urban administration, disaster management, tourism and agriculture.
Other initiatives discussed included Viksit Bharat Youth Parliament, Viksit Vibrant Village Programme, Viksit Bharat Yuva Connect, Youth Icon, Viksit Bharat Padyatra, Sardar@150 Padyatra and Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat.
Special Focus on Bastar Youth
The Chief Minister placed particular emphasis on bringing more young people from Bastar into My Bharat activities.
He said Bastar is moving beyond its prolonged period of violence and fear towards peace, trust and development, making it especially important to connect its youth with opportunities related to nation-building.
“The youth of Bastar, who were away from the mainstream of development for a long time due to circumstances, are now seeing new doors of opportunity. Through My Bharat, their confidence can grow, their talent can receive recognition and they can get opportunities to advance according to their capabilities,” CM Sai said.
He pointed to initiatives such as the Bastar Olympics and Bastar Pandum, which have provided platforms for young people to showcase their sporting talent, art and cultural traditions.
The Chief Minister directed officials to similarly use My Bharat to create opportunities for Bastar’s youth in leadership, social service, skills, culture and other areas.
A Stronger Youth Network for a Stronger Chhattisgarh
The review meeting underlined the state government’s focus on making young people active participants in development rather than merely beneficiaries of government programmes.
By expanding My Bharat’s reach from villages to urban centres and from mainstream districts to regions such as Bastar, the government aims to create a stronger youth ecosystem based on leadership, skills, innovation, volunteerism and social responsibility.
CM Sai said empowering young people and providing them with meaningful opportunities will be crucial to achieving the broader goals of Viksit Bharat and Viksit Chhattisgarh.
