Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the valedictory function of the second National Youth Parliament Festival today at 10:30 in the morning through video conferencing. Three national winners of the Festival will also express their views during the event. AIR Correspondent reports that Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju will also be present on the occasion.
 

The objective of the National Youth Parliament Festival is to hear the voice of youth between 18 and 25 years of age, who are allowed to vote and will join various careers in coming years, including public services. The festival is based on the idea given by the Prime Minister in his Mann Ki Baat address on 31st December 2017. Taking inspiration from the idea, the first National Youth Parliament Festival was organised in 2019 with the theme – Be the Voice of New India and Find solutions and Contribute to Policy. A total of 88 thousand youth participated in the program. The second National Youth Parliament Festival was launched on 23rd December last year through virtual mode. Two lakh 34 thousand youth from across the country participated in the first stage. It was followed by State youth parliaments through virtual mode from 1st to 5th January this year.

 
The National Youth Festival is also celebrated every year from 12th to 16th January. 12th January being the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, is observed as National Youth Day. This year, National Youth Parliament Festival is also being organized along with the National Youth Festival. The objective of the National Youth Festival is to bring youth of the country together to showcase their talents, provide them an arena, by creating a mini-India, where youth interact in formal and informal settings and exchange their social and cultural uniqueness. It is also to promote national integration, spirit of communal harmony, brotherhood, courage and adventure. The basic aim is to propagate the spirit, essence and concept of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat. Due to COVID-19, the 24th National Youth Festival is being held in virtual mode. YUVAAH – Utsah Naye Bharat Ka is the theme of this year’s festival, which suggests, the youth bring alive the celebration of New India.