The inaugural session of Y20 Pre-Summit was held today at Sindhu Sanskriti Kendra, Leh. The session was inaugurated by Lieutenant Governor of Leh-Ladakh Shri Brig. (Dr.) B.D. Mishra (Retd). It was also graced by the presence of Shri Tashi Gyalson, Chief Executive Councillor; Shri Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, Member of Parliament, Ladakh; Shri Umang Narula, Advisor to Lt. Governor; Smt. Meeta Rajivlochan, Secretary (Youth Affairs); Shri Nagaraj Naidu Kakanur, Joint Secretary, MEA; and Shri Anmol Sovit, Y20 Chair.
Lieutenant Governor of Leh-Ladakh Shri Brig. (Dr.) B.D. Mishra (Retd) in his address mentioned that the vision of G20 came into realization under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. He also said that the youth of the country is intelligent, committed , focused and know their way ahead. They are the future of the country because of the potential they have. He welcomed the esteemed deletegates on the behalf of people of Ladakh at the highest meeting point of India at 11000 feet above mean sea level. He added that in India “ Athithi Devo bhava “ is followed and we treat our guest as God. The people of the country are taking India’s presidency of G-20 with great joy, pleasure and pride.He expressed his delight in welcoming the delegates from G20 nations and said, “Your visit is not only welcome, but it’s beneficial also for our entire nation of , for everyone in the country; be it on the plane of social interaction, economic activities, emotional plane or ceremonial occasions.” He further highlighted the culture, food and traditions of Ladakh to familiarize the guest delegates with the lifestyle of Ladakh. This included the scenic beauty of mountainous landscapes of Ladakh, anganwadi or courtyard shelter for toddlers, handicraft and handloom by SHGs comprised of Ladakhi women, pashmina wool, wood carving, apricots as a part of horticulture heritage of Ladakh, sea buckthorn, ice-hockey and winter sport activities like ice climbing, ice skating, skiing and frozen lake marathon.
He also mentioned about polo on top of the world with players wearing traditional attire and riding horses which is unique to Ladakh. In a step towards carbon neutrality, the LG said, that the government is encouraging adoption of e-vehicles, constructing modern energy efficient greenhouses and supporting Jal Jeevan Mission.
In her address, Secretary of Youth Affairs Smt. Meeta Rajivlochan said, “All young people would be debating themes that are very important for the future of humanity; whether it is the future of work, climate change, peacebuilding and reconciliation, youth in democracy and governance or health and wellbeing. Each one of these theme are having an impact on us and will continue to do so.” In motivating the youth present in the gathering, she further said, “You are the present; you are also the future. Youth today are directly guiding the trajectory of events in India and across the globe in so many ways; whether it is politics, business, academia, research- we see that young people are leading from the front. And in India, we see this more so than any other.”
In his address Shri Nagaraj Naidu Kakanur said that the Young people are increasingly aware of the challenges and risks presented by the climate crisis and of the opportunity to achieve sustainable development trough climate ambition and climate action. The unprecedented mobilization of youth around the world on the issue of climate shows the massive power they possess to hold decision making.
In his opening remarks Shri Anmol Sovit, Chair, Y20 Secretariat said India is famous for its rich culture regional diversity but also for its geographical terrains. He also said that this time when India is having the presidency of G20 it showcases the role that India has to play with its large youth population.
Head of delegates from G20 nations were felicitated by LG, Ladakh with souvenir gift from the administration of UT of Ladakh.
A session based on the theme ‘Health & Wellbeing- The Indian Perspective’ was presented by the team of Indian National Young Academy of Sciences (INYAS), which included Prof. Rajendra S Dhaka as the moderator, Dr. Pradeep Banandur, Dr. Pankaj Barah, Dr. Kalpana Nagpal, Dr. Dhiraj Bhatia, Dr. Rigzin Smanla, Dr. Shalini Arya and Dr. Sharanjeet Dhawan. The session was followed by an interactive session with the youth delegates where their concerns and questions were addressed by the panellists.
Based on one of the Y20 themes, ‘Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction: Making Sustainability a Way of Life’, in the run-up events to the Y20 Pre-Summit, a sustainable campus challenge was organized by Department of Higher Education, UT Ladakh to promote sustainability on educational campus. Young awardees for the sustainable campus challenge 2023 were felicitated by the Hon’ble LG, Ladakh. First position was awarded to the team of Government Degree College, Kargil for their proposed project ‘Recycle, Reduce & Reuse; Stationery Waste Management System in College’. The team included Farzana, Sayeeda Bano, Asiya Batool and Kaneez Fatima.
5 parallel technical sessions were held for negotiations and deliberations based on the Y20 themes:
i. Shared Future: Youth in Democracy and Governance
ii. Future of Work: Industry 4.0, Innovation & 21st Century Skills.
iii. Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction: Making Sustainability a Way of Life
iv. Peace building and Reconciliation: Ushering in an era of No War
v. Health, Wellbeing & Sports: Agenda for Youth
India has assumed the G20 Presidency on 1st December, 2022 for a period of 1 year i.e. upto 30th November, 2023. India’s theme for its presidency is enshrined in its civilizational value system of ‘Vasudeva kutumbakam’. Hence our theme – ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’.
Under the framework of G20 Presidency, Department of Youth Affairs, Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India, the Youth 20 (Y20) group’s Y20 Pre-Summit is organized at Leh from 26th-28th April to consult the youth on ideas for a better tomorrow and draft an agenda for action. The ongoing three-day Y20 Pre-Summit has received participation from more than 100 youth delegates from G20 countries at Leh, Ladakh.
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