National Youth Day is celebrated every year on January 12 to mark the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. It was declared by the Government of India in 1984 in order to honour the contribution made by Swami Vivekananda towards the betterment of Indian Society.

It is also called the Yuwa Diwas. To mark this day, a National Youth Festival is arranged by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports every year between January 12 and 16. This article will elaborate on the purpose and importance of the National Youth Day within the context of the Civil Services Examination. 

Aspirants can also refer to the important days, dates and events in the country, important from the UPSC Prelims perspective in the linked article.

Given below are a few other related links in line with the UPSC Syllabus. Candidates can refer to the same for exam preparation:

National Youth Festival 2021

The Indian Government (Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports) conducts National Youth Festival each year between 12th and 16th January. It is organised in collaboration with one of the State Governments. Thus, it is held in a different state each year during National Youth Week.

It was in 1995 that the National Youth Festival was celebrated for the first time under the programme of National Integration Camp (NIC). As a part of this festival, the National Youth Parliament Festival (NYPF) is also being celebrated since 2019.

National Youth Day| National Youth Festival 2021 Update

In the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, the ministry celebrated the National Youth Day digitally with the involvement of all the states against its earlier custom of jointly organizing it with one of the states.

Significance of National Youth Festival

1. The concept of national integration is propagated through the celebration.
2. It gives an opportunity to the youth to showcase their cultural prowess.
3. A spirit of communal harmony and brotherhood is fostered among youth coming from across the nation.

Theme of National Youth Festival 2021: ‘YUVAAH – Utsah Naye Bharat Ka’ (It signified the youthfulness of the youngsters and give them the platform to showcase their talent.)

Importance of National Youth Day

The main purpose of the National Youth Day is to propagate the ideals and philosophies of Swami Vivekananda in today’s youth, chief among them is rational thinking. As the youth is the future of the country, they are expected to live by such ideals and rise to the occasion should their nation require them to do so. Thus it can be said that they are indispensable assets to the overall growth and development of the nation.

National Youth Day – UPSC Notes:- Download PDF Here

National Youth Parliament Festival (NYPF)

• The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the idea of the National Youth Parliament Festival in 2017 during one of his Mann ki Baat sessions
• Its objective is to hear the voice of youth between 18 and less than 25 years of age, encourage them to engage with public issues; develop and enhance decision-making abilities; develop in them a respect and tolerance for the views of others; and help them understand that respect for rules is essential
• 2021 was the second year for the celebration of the National Youth Parliament Festival. The registration for participation under the festival had begun in December 2020 and the final declaration of results was done on January 12, 2021, on the occasion of National Youth Day
• A total of 88,000 youth participated in the program in 2019 and the virtual inauguration of the program in 2020 was witnessed by more than 23 Lac youth and stakeholders across the country at district, state and national level

Themes of National Youth Day

The following are the themes of National Youth Day since 2011 (The themes were first introduced by the Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs at the beginning of 2011)

Themes of National Youth Day

Find the list of Government Ministries, Department and Other Agencies for the UPSC Exam, by visiting the linked article.

The table below contains a set of links that will be useful for candidates in their IAS Exam Preparation. Also, be sure to visit the IAS syllabus page for a thorough understanding of the exam.

Related Links