Modi to Inaugurate 25th National Youth Festival in Puducherry Today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 25th National Youth Festival in Puducherry today on the occasion of Swami Vivekananda Jayanti, which is commemorated as National Youth Day throughout India.

According to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the festival will be hosted virtually on January 12 and 13 due to the ongoing Coronavirus disease pandemic (Covid-19). 

At 11 a.m. today, Modi will address at the inauguration ceremony. 

Apart from that, the Prime Minister will establish a technological center under the Union Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), as well as an auditorium with an open-air theatre known as the 'Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Manimandapam.' 

PM Modi announced today's event on Twitter on Tuesday and shared pictures of the auditorium. Earlier on Monday (January 10), he invited his "young friends" to participate in today's program and urged them to "share their inputs." 

On Monday, Modi tweeted, "Always a delight to hear from India's talented youth." 

The technological center, which has an emphasis on electronic system design and manufacturing (ESDM), was created at a cost of nearly 122 crore. According to the PMO statement, it will cater to youth skill development and train approximately 6,400 trainees per year. 

The auditorium, on the other hand, cost around Rs.23 crore to construct. “It would primarily be used for educational purposes, and can accommodate more than 1,000 people,” the PMO statement added. 

The National Youth Festival aims to shape India's youth minds and transform them into a "unified force for nation building. It strives to bring varied cultures of India together and combine them into a united thread of 'Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat,' the PMO said in a statement. 

Following Modi's inauguration, the National Youth Summit will take place, with panel discussions on four themes: environment, climate, and sustainable development goals(SDG) led growth; technology, entrepreneurship and innovation; indigenous and ancient wisdom; and national character, nation building, and homegrown. 

During the festival, participants will also watch recorded video capsules of Auroville, Puducherry, Immersive City Experience and indigenous sport and traditional games. Following that, there will be open discussions with Olympians and Paralympians, as well as a live performance this evening. Meanwhile, a virtual yoga session will be held in the morning. 

Modi will unveil selected essays on "Mere Sapno ka Bharat" and "Unsung Heroes of the Indian Freedom Movement" at the opening ceremony. The selection took place from more than 1 lakh submissions by Indian youth on the two above-mentioned themes.