Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said he believes Indian youth will shape the world of the 21st century, and called on them to visit villages to understand India rather than depending only on online sources.
He was speaking via video conference with participants of the “Viksit Gram Yojana 2026” programme. More than 5,000 people from 245 districts across the country joined the interaction and shared their experiences with the Prime Minister.
Modi said border villages reflect a distinctive mix of aspiration for development and patriotism. He noted that people living in such areas often place the nation above personal comfort, considering facilities as secondary.
Referring to the “Mera Yuva Bharat” initiative, he said the programme aims to encourage youth from different villages to spend time in villages in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Ladakh. He said experiencing local lifestyles, food habits, occupations, culture and day-to-day practices helps young people understand challenges on the ground and strengthens the spirit of “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat.”
Modi added that a developed India rests on the foundation of developed villages, and said youth are both the driving force and key beneficiaries of the “Viksit Bharat” journey. He also recalled that many border villages earlier lacked basic facilities such as roads, electricity, drinking water, schools and hospitals, even as residents’ patriotism remained unwavering.
