Every year, January 12 is celebrated as National Youth Day—as homage to the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, honouring his enduring teachings and visionary ideas. More than a century after his birth, his words continue to affirm the extraordinary capabilities of our youth and their pivotal role in shaping a progressive and developed Bharat.
The country holds the status of being the youngest nation in the world with over 60 per cent of her population being under the age of 35 years. This demographic dividend offers an unprecedented opportunity to drive the nation towards global leadership. It is not merely a statistic, but a pool of emerging talent, energy and vision that can accelerate economic growth, technological advancement and social transformation.
Vivekananda’s powerful words, “Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached”, encapsulates his unwavering faith in the youth, who, armed with moral fortitude and a fervent appetite for knowledge, can elevate the nation to new pinnacles and redefine the very fabric of society. Leveraging this youthful energy calls for thoughtful public policy, strong education system and an atmosphere of entrepreneurship.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government has rolled out a range of youth-centric initiatives to foster innovation, skill-building and job creation. Notably, under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), more than 1.48 crore youth have gained modern vocational skills, improving their employment prospects. Initiatives like the Start-Up India and Stand-Up India have created lakhs of direct jobs and provided critical financial support to budding entrepreneurs, especially women and from marginalised groups. The recently launched Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme is helping bridge the gap between education and practical experience.
Inspired by the prime minister’s dream of a Viksit Bharat by 2047, this is the time to dream big, ignite our entrepreneurial passion and create a lasting legacy for our nation. But, we must remember that true progress must extend beyond individual’s material achievements. Big dreams must be rooted in values of knowledge, compassion, humility and service. I am reminded of the Sanskrit shlok from Chanakya’s Niti Darpan: Vidya dadati vinayam; vinayadyati patratam patratvaddhanamapnoti, dhanaddharmam tatah sukham (Knowledge gives humility, from humility one attains worthiness. From worthiness one gains prosperity, and prosperity enables practice of righteousness.)
Simply put, a pursuit for success must start with the hunger for knowledge and must culminate with righteousness. Only then we can achieve true progress and happiness.
Bharat’s future hinges on those bold enough to dream and steadfast enough to act. In the immortal words of Vivekananda, “Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life—think of it, dream of it, live on that idea.”
Bansuri Swaraj is the Lok Sabha member from New Delhi.