National Youth Day

In 1984 the Government of India declared this day as National Youth Day and since 1985 the event is celebrated in India every year. National Youth Day is celebrated on January 12, every year in India to honor the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.

• “Swami Vivekananda accorded great importance to youth power towards nation-building and universal brotherhood.
• Swami Ji considered education to be a continuous process in which all aspects of life, such as physical, intellectual, emotional, moral, and spiritual should be imbibed. His contribution to the creation of a new modern India is incredible.

• To honour his many contributions to the country, the government of India, in the year 1984, declared his birthday as National Youth Day, and the day has been celebrated since. On this day, the country’s youth is expected to rise to the values, principles and beliefs that the great monk lived by.
• The main objective is to promote rational thinking among the youth, believed to be the future of the country.
• It expected of the youth to rise to the occasion, fight for the right and channel their inner energies, just like Swami Vivekananda would have. Numerous functions are organised in schools and colleges, where the young minds are. Speeches, music, recitation and essay-writing competitions, yogasanas, are held on this day. Students are encouraged to tap into their spirituality.
• The youth (18-29 years) constitute 22 percent of India’s population, which is more than 261 million people.  
• The Youth in India report by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation of the Government of India states that the median age of Indian population is around 28 years in 2021 and will become 31 years by 2031.

Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902)

• He was born in a Bengali family at Calcutta on 12 January 1863 during the Makar Sankranti festival.
• Introduced the world to the Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga.
• He was the chief disciple of the 19th-century mystic Ramakrishna Paramhansa.
• Laid the greatest emphasis on education for the regeneration of our motherland. He advocated a man-making character-building education.
• Established the Ramakrishna Mission in 1897. It is an organization which works in the area of value-based education, culture, health, women’s empowerment, youth and tribal welfare, and relief and rehabilitation.
• He was the disciple of Ramakrishna Paramhansa.
• His interpretation of Vedanta is called neo-Vedanta.
• He also inspired many people to join the freedom struggle, thereby contributing to the rise of the national independence movement.
• He worked in the field of social service.
• He spoke to people in India and urged them to eliminate the caste system and promote science and industrialisation.
• He also asked the youth to take a pledge to be physically fit and promote India’s cultural and spiritual values.
• Many parts of his speech have since become popular, including “I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance
• He also believed that the Hindus and the Muslims have certain things to learn from each other, which would make them not merely better Hindus and better Muslims, but what is more importantly better humans.
• Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose had called Vivekananda the “maker of modern India.”
• In 1893, he took the name ‘Vivekananda’ after Maharaja Ajit Singh of the Khetri State requested him to do so, changing from ‘Sachidananda’ that he used before.
• He said, “You will be nearer to heaven through football than through the study of the Gita.”
• He died at Belur Math in 1902. Belur Math, located in West Bengal, is the headquarters of Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission.

Ramakrishna Paramhansa

• He was born as Gadadhar Chattopadhyay in 1836 in West Bengal.
• He was one of the leading Hindu spiritual leaders in the 19th century.

• He believed that the realization of the existence of God is the supreme goal of all living beings.

Themes of National Youth Day 
The following are the themes of National Youth Day since 2011 (The themes were first introduced by the Ministry of Youth and Sports Affair at the beginning of 2011). 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 24th National Youth Festival is being held in virtual mode. The theme of this year’s festival is ‘YUVAAH – Utsah Naye Bharat Ka’ which suggests, the youth bring alive the celebration of New India

National Youth Parliament Festival (NYPF)

• NYPF is based on the idea given by the Prime Minister in his Mann Ki Baat Address on 31st December 2017.
• The first NYPF was organised in 2019 with the theme “Be the Voice of New India and Find solutions and Contribute to Policy”.
• The second NYPF was launched in December 2020.
• Its aim is to encourage the youth between 18 and 25 years of age to engage with public issues, understand the common man’s point of view, and form their opinions and express it in an articulate manner.

About National Youth Festival :

• It is celebrated every year from 12th to 16th January to commemorate the birth anniversary of youth icon Swami Vivekananda.
• It is an annual gathering of youth with various activities including competitive ones.
• It is organized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in collaboration with one of the State Governments.
• It aims to propagate the concept of national integration, the spirit of communal harmony, brotherhood, courage, and adventure amongst the youth by exhibiting their cultural prowess in a common platform.
• This is done by organizing gatherings of youth across the country and encouraging them to take part in different activities.
• This year the theme for the festival is YUVAAH – Utsah Naye Bharat Ka!

Source: pib

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