Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla addressed the participants at the Inaugural Session of the Finals of National Youth Parliament 2021, organized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, and the Lok Sabha Secretariat in the Central Hall of the Parliament House today.

The Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Kiren Rijiju; MP Rupa Ganguly; Secretary General, Lok Sabha Utpal Kumar Singh; Secretary ,Youth Affairs Usha Sharma; Secretary, Sports, Ravi Mittal, 84 finalistsof state level Youth parliaments and senior officers of M /o YAS and Lok Sabha Secretariat were present on the occasiontoday.

This year the National Youth Parliament Festival is being organized as a part of National Youth Festival which is celebrated every year from 12th to 16th January.

Noting that the people’s faith in democracy has continued to increase, Shri Birla said that in the last seven decades, Indian democracy has continuously thrived and strengthened itself. Shri Birla added that the strength of Indian democracy could be seen from the fact that the transfer of power has always occurred smoothly and as per our democratic traditions.

Speaking about the youth and their contribution to nation building, Speaker Om Birla said that before Independence, Indian youth was at the forefront of the struggle for freedom. In a similar way the youth today must work ceaselessly towards taking India to the path of prosperity and progress. Speaker Om Birla said that for the nation to prosper, it is imperative for the youth to make the significant contribution, which is their responsibility as well as duty.

He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given an important direction to the youth, who are working towards taking India forward through innovation, and new thinking in various fields during Maan ki Baat programme in 2017. He also expressed the confidence that in the coming years, Indian youth would be at the forefront of an innovation based world through their technical knowledge and skills.

Birla also said that in a democracy we share our thoughts and experiences, debate and discuss and then reach a conclusion after extensive discussion. This is the strength of the democratic system that gives everyone the right to express their views. He hoped that the Youth Parliament would go a long way in strengthening the spirit of democracy in keeping with the motto of Nation First.

Speaker Om Birla paid tributes to former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri whose death anniversary is being observed today. The speaker also met and interacted with the young leaders who will be competing in the Finals of National Youth Parliament 2021 and encouraged them to do well. Shri Birla also directed the Lok Sabha Secretariat to provide an exposure to these young participants to the functioning of Parliament so that they could develop a better vision of the democratic functioning.

Speaking on the occasion, Kiren Rijiju said that it is indeed a historic moment that young people of our country are participating in the National Youth Parliament in the Temple of Indian democracy and thanked the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla for providing this unique opportunity. Remarking that Swami Vivekananda’s birthday on 12th January is celebrated as National Youth Day, Rijiju said that new initiatives have been taken this year to involve the youth in fulfilling the vision of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat.

He noted that youth across India have participated enthusiastically in the 2021 festival of the National Youth Parliament and expressed the hope that the event would provide them a platform to share their social and economic ideas and internalize democratic values. This will indeed be a lifetime memorable event for them, the Minister opined.

Today’s function began with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp .The Valedictory Session is scheduled to be held tomorrow. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually address the young participants and interact with them. This festival has seen the participation of a large number of youth from all over the country and 84 candidates are participating in the final event after winning at the District and State Levels. The jury for the Finals comprises of Roopa Ganguly, MP (Rajya Sabha), Parvesh Sahib Singh, MP (Lok Sabha) and senior journalist and writer Prafulla Ketkar.