Slew of events planned as PM Narendra Modi set to flag off National Youth Fest today in Karnataka

HUBBALLI/BENGALURU: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the National Youth Festival, to commemorate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, in Hubballi on Thursday. The 26th edition of the festival will be held in HubballiDharwad till January 16.
Officials say the festival this year is being celebrated as a ‘Green Youth Festival’, where only reusable cutlery, napkins, etc. will be used. All mementos, medals, and stationery at the festival have been made of reusable material, and water refilling stations have been set up to reduce use of disposables.
More than 30,000 youngsters are expected to attend the inaugural function and Modi is likely to share his vision with them. Some 7,500 youth delegates from across the country and from different fields will come together to engage in different learning activities.
Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said delegates from 28 states and eight Union territories will participate in the festival and showcase their talent. A variety of cultural and sporting activities have been planned across the five days. “It is the first time the festival is being held in the north Karnataka region.
It will help the youth of the region to blossom in all fields,” Bommai said. Organisers say activities will include discussions on relevant themes like studentcentric governance and Digital India, adventure sports events, exhibitions of traditional sports, and competitive cultural events in which troupes from different states will participate.
There are also non-competitive events such as social development fairs like Yuva Kriti, Adventure Festival, Suvichar, and Young Artist Camp, among others. A ‘Yogathon’ has been planned on January 15 between 6am and 8am and organisers plan to mobilise five lakh people from across 31 districts of the state.
Organisers have also scheduled a ‘Youth Summit’, which will include two-way discussions on themes like the future of work, industry, innovation, and 21st century skills; climate change and disaster risk reduction; peacebuilding and reconciliation; and shared futures for youth in democracy and governance.