Minister of State (I/C) Shri Kiren Rijiju has informed that The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports organizes the National Youth Festival every year on the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda from 12th to 16th January. The Hon’ble Prime Minister shared the idea of youth becoming the voice of India in his ‘Mann ki Baat’ on 31st December, 2017 and also reiterated his desire to organise the Youth Parliament in his address during inauguration of the 22nd National Youth Festival on 12th January, 2018. Accordingly, in the year 2019, the National Youth Festival was merged with National Youth Parliament Festival and was organised from 12th January to 27thFebruary, 2019 with an objective to hear the voice of youth, to encourage the youth to engage with public issues, understand the common man’s point of view, form opinion and express it in an articulate manner and to develop and enhance decision making abilities. The National Youth Parliament Festival was inaugurated by the then Hon’ble MoS(IC) Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore (Retd.) on 12thJanuary, 2019. The festival was conducted at National, State and District level wherein about 88,000 youths were heard through walk in and digital screening. 56 finalists were heard by a panel of eminent jury members in final round held on 26th February, 2019 at Dr. B. R. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi in presence of Minister (YA&S) and other dignitaries.
Hon’ble Prime Minister conferred the Award to the 3 winners of the National Youth Parliament Festival on 27th February, 2019 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
The National Youth Award which is conferred by this Ministry on 12th January every year is to be conferred on 12th August, 2019 i.e. on International Youth Day, this year since these could not be awarded on 12th January.