New Delhi: Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday said India had, for the first time, begun viewing sports as a national priority rather than merely an activity, while highlighting the government’s wider efforts to provide young people with opportunities, mentorship and a greater role in the country’s development and policymaking.
Addressing Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Khelo India Dialogue, Mandaviya said the government’s approach towards youth development had sought to combine opportunities in sports, skills and nation-building through platforms designed to channel the energy and ideas of young Indians.
“Prime Minister, you have considered youth to be the future of India. You have also said that they are the future of India. For the first time, the country has seen sports as a national priority, not just an activity,” Mandaviya said.
Mandaviya pointed to the launch of the My Bharat platform in 2023 as part of efforts to provide young people with direction, mentorship and opportunities to contribute to national development.
“To strengthen this vision on the ground, you started a powerful platform like My Bharat in 2023. Our youth had the desire for energy, ideas, passion and service. But they also needed the right direction, mentorship, and opportunity. Today, My India is fulfilling these needs as a one-stop solution. Across the country, more than 2.66 crore youth have joined us. They are contributing to the nation’s development alongside their careers,” he added.
The Sports Minister also highlighted the Developed India Young Leader Dialogue, saying the initiative had created a direct channel for young people to contribute ideas that could feed into the policymaking process.
“By advancing this vision, you have connected youth and ideas directly to policy-making through the Developed India Young Leader Dialogue. Prime Minister, on the occasion of Swami Vivekananda’s birthday on 12th January, you sang a song with the youth. You listened to their ideas and interacted with them.”
Mandaviya said the interaction had helped reinforce among young people the belief that their ideas could have a tangible role in shaping the country’s future.
“As a result, this year the Minister of the Development of the Nation drew on the ideas from the Developed India Young Leader Dialogue in his speech to present this year’s budget as a youth-driven budget. Today, the country’s youth feel that their ideas are not ignored but implemented.”
He further said the government had opened up new avenues for young people seeking opportunities and skill development. “Prime Minister, you have opened new doors for opportunities for the youth. If any youth wants to develop skills, you have launched the Prime Minister’s Skills Development Programme.”
(IANS)
