**Executive Summary**
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports commenced a three-day "Chintan Shivir" in Srinagar on April 24, 2026, to develop a strategic road map for youth engagement through the "MY Bharat" platform. The event aims to transition youth from being mere beneficiaries to active partners in achieving the "Viksit Bharat 2047" vision. Key focus areas include deliberating on the Annual Action Plan 2026–27 and strengthening grassroots governance through inclusive, evidence-based decision-making.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Vision and Governance**
* **Youth as Partners:** The primary goal is to involve youth as equal partners in nation-building rather than just recipients of government schemes.
* **Participatory Decision-Making:** Emphasis is placed on inclusive governance, ensuring individual youth voices from the ground level shape national policy.
* **Viksit Bharat 2047:** All initiatives are aligned toward harnessing India’s demographic dividend to achieve the vision of a developed India by 2047.
**Institutional Mechanisms**
* **District Youth Officers (DYOs):** Identified as critical links to channelize ideas and feedback from the grassroots to the national level.
* **Youth Clubs:** Strengthening vibrant youth clubs is prioritized as they serve as the foundation for local engagement and groundwork.
* **MY Bharat Platform:** Focus is on enhancing digital youth engagement and improving institutional convergence between MY Bharat and the National Service Scheme (NSS).
**Strategic Planning and Policy**
* **Annual Action Plan 2026–27:** Technical sessions involve gap analysis, strategic priority setting, and the development of implementation frameworks for the upcoming cycle.
* **Phased Consultations:** The "Samvaad Se Samadhaan" theme utilizes structured, phased discussions to ensure policies are evidence-based and reflective of real needs.
* **Operational Efficiency:** Discussions cover improving fund flow mechanisms, programme coordination, and sustainability models for youth development.
**Impact Analysis**
**Youth and Youth Clubs**
**Impact**
Youth are empowered to influence policy directly, shifting their role to active contributors in the national decision-making process.
**Action Required**
Engage actively with the MY Bharat platform and participate in local youth clubs to provide ground-level insights and innovative ideas.
**District Youth Officers (DYOs) and Government Officials**
**Impact**
These stakeholders are tasked with a greater responsibility to facilitate transparent communication between local communities and the central government.
**Action Required**
Identify and present regional challenges and innovative solutions during consultative phases; ensure ground-level inputs translate into policy outputs without "leakages."
**State and Union Territory Ministers / Policy Makers**
**Impact**
Responsible for aligning state-level frameworks with the national "Viksit Bharat 2047" vision and ensuring institutional convergence.
**Action Required**
Participate in thematic groups to drive action-oriented outcomes and implement the strategic priorities outlined in the Annual Action Plan 2026–27.
Key Entities Referenced
Viksit Bharat 2047: The national vision to transform India into a developed nation by 2047, which serves as the overarching goal for youth-led development policies.
MY Bharat (Mera Yuva Bharat): An autonomous body and digital platform designed for youth engagement, serving as a primary tool for policy alignment and institutional convergence.
Chintan Shivir of Youth Affairs & Sports Ministers: A high-level consultative event held in Srinagar to foster participatory governance and shape the national youth policy roadmap.
National Service Scheme (NSS): A central sector scheme for youth service, identified for strategic convergence with the MY Bharat platform to enhance grassroots participation.
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports: The nodal ministry responsible for organizing the Chintan Shivir and overseeing the implementation of youth-centric initiatives.
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
Youth Must Be Partners, Not Just Beneficiaries,
in Building Viksit Bharat 2047 : Dr. Mansukh
Mandaviya
From Ground-Level Dialogue to National Action, Youth Voices
Must Shape Policy : Smt. Raksha Khadse
Phased Consultations Enable Evidence-Based and Inclusive
Decision-Making : Dr. Pallavi Jain Govil
Chintan Shivir of Youth Affairs & Sports Ministers Begins in
Srinagar; Focus on Youth-Led Development under Viksit
Bharat@2047
Inclusive and Participatory Governance Key to Harnessing
India’s Demographic Dividend
Posted On: 24 APR 2026 7:40PM by PIB DelhiThe three-day Chintan Shivir of Ministers of Youth Affairs & Sports from States and Union Territories
commenced today at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), Srinagar. The Shivir is
being led by Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, and Minister of State
for Youth Affairs & Sports, Smt. Raksha Nikhil Khadse.
The first day, themed “Samvaad Se Samadhaan”, focused on strengthening youth engagement
frameworks through MY Bharat, with emphasis on policy alignment, institutional convergence and
outcome-oriented programme delivery.
In his keynote address, Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya highlighted the importance of inclusive
and participatory governance. He stated, “The vision of this Chintan Shivir is to ensure individual
involvement by bringing every youth voice into the decision-making process.”Emphasising India’s demographic strength, he noted, "India has the world’s most powerful demographic
dividend, and to realise the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, it is essential that youth are actively involved in
shaping policies that will ultimately benefit them.”
He further underlined the need for collaborative nation-building, stating, "We must make youth equal
partners in achieving the goals of 2047, not just beneficiaries of schemes.”
Highlighting institutional mechanisms, he added, “Proper nurturing of youth can be achieved through
District Youth Officers (DYOs), who can effectively channelise ideas emerging from the grassroots.”
Stress on grassroots strengthening was also reiterated as he said, *"Our groundwork must be strengthened
through vibrant youth clubs that can act as the foundation of youth engagement.”Calling for robust policymaking processes, he emphasised, “Stakeholder consultation is essential for
effective policy formulation, and transparency must ensure that input directly translates into output
without leakages.”
Minister of State Smt. Raksha Nikhil Khadse noted that the Chintan Shivir provides a platform for
meaningful dialogue and action. She stated, “This Chintan Shivir offers a platform for fruitful discussions
to identify key issues and evolve actionable strategies for the youth of the country.”
She further emphasised participatory governance, saying, “It is imperative that youth are actively involved
in the decision-making process at every level.”
Highlighting the importance of grassroots inputs, she added, “Discussions must flow from the ground
level through DYOs to the national level, ensuring that policies reflect real needs and aspirations.”
Dr. Pallavi Jain Govil, Secretary, Department of Youth Affairs, stated that the present Chintan Shivir
builds upon earlier deliberations. She noted, “This Chintan Shivir is a continuation of the consultative
process initiated in Bengaluru, following a phased approach.”
Emphasising inclusivity in governance, she said, “The phased conduct of Chintan Shivir provides an
opportunity for officers at all levels to present their challenges and innovative ideas.”
She added, “Such structured consultations enable informed and evidence-based decision-making, with
youth playing a central role in building Viksit Bharat 2047.”
Earlier, Shri Nitesh Kumar Mishra, Additional Secretary (Youth Affairs), welcomed the participants and
outlined the objectives of the Shivir.
Technical sessions on Day 1 included detailed deliberations on the Annual Action Plan 2026–27, focusing
on policy alignment, strategic priorities, gap analysis and implementation frameworks. Presentations also
highlighted best practices in youth club development, sustainability models, and learnings from previous
programme cycles.Discussions further examined strengthening digital youth engagement through the MY Bharat platform,
enhancing grassroots participation, and improving convergence between MY Bharat and the National
Service Scheme (NSS), including fund flow mechanisms and programme coordination.
The day concluded with a synthesis of key insights and the formation of thematic groups to take forward
focused deliberations in subsequent sessions. The Chintan Shivir will continue over the next two days
with emphasis on cross-learning, policy alignment and action-oriented outcomes, contributing to the
broader vision of building an empowered youth ecosystem under Viksit Bharat@2047.
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Pawan Singh Faujdar
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