Youth Progress Lies In Optimism & Opportunities: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said students should think big and that youth progress where there is optimism, opportunities and openness, at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. He was addressing a gathering at G20 University Connect Finale programme.

Modi said, “There is no achievement that is beyond you or the country is not behind you.” He said that no occasion should be treated as small and that effort should be made to convert every activity into a benchmark. He illustrated this by giving an example of G20 which could have been a mere diplomatic and Delhi-centric event. Instead, “India made G20 a people-driven national movement.”

He also praised the participation of youth in the event as more than one lakh students from more than 100 universities participated in the G20 University Connect. The Government took the G20 to 5 crore students in schools, higher education and skill development institutions. “Our people think big and deliver even grander”, he added.

The G20 University Connect initiative was undertaken with the aim to build an understanding of India’s G20 Presidency among India’s youth and enhance their participation in the different G20 events.

The Prime Minister also released four publications on the occasion namely The Grand Success of G20 Bharat Presidency: Visionary Leadership, Inclusive Approach; India's G20 Presidency: Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam; Compendium of G20 University Connect Programme; and Showcasing Indian Culture at G20.

He said that India is becoming a happening place. It is evident from the activities of the last 30 days. Giving a recap of the last 30 days, he started by recalling the successful Chandrayaan mission when the entire world resonated with ‘India is on the moon’. “23 August has become immortal as National Space Day in our country”, he added. 

Speaking on the occasion Union Minister for Education and Skill Development, Dharmendra Pradhan expressed gratitude to Modi for taking forward the global education agenda under G20 architecture which resulted in world recognition for India’s education and skill ecosystem. He said that today’s Prime Minister’s insightful interaction highlighting the speed, scale and full range of New India will inspire our Yuva Shakti to ‘Think and Dream Big’.

The G20 Jan Bhagidari movement saw a record participation of more than five crore youth from different schools, higher education institutions and skill development institutes from across the country. The programme engaged over one lakh students from universities across India. Initially planned for 75 universities to commemorate India's 75 years of independence, the initiative eventually expanded its reach to 101 universities across India.

Several programmes were held across the country under the G-20 University Connect initiative. They witnessed extensive participation from higher education institutions. Further, what initially began as a programme for universities quickly grew to include schools and colleges, reaching an even wider audience.