National Youth Day 2025 Celebrated Swami Vivekananda’s Birth Anniversary

National Youth Day in India is celebrated annually on January 12 to honour the teachings and ideals of Swami Vivekananda, the chief disciple of the 19th-century mystic Ramakrishna Paramhansa. Born on January 12, 1863, in Kolkata, Swami Vivekananda is renowned for his contributions to the revival of modern Hinduism and inspiring nationalist consciousness during colonial rule.

National Youth Day 2025

National Youth Festival Theme

The theme of National Youth Day 2025 is “Youth for a Sustainable Future: Shaping the Nation with Resilience and Responsibility“.

This theme highlights the crucial role of young people in addressing global challenges like climate change and environmental degradation. It emphasizes the importance of sustainable practices, innovation, and responsible actions in building a better future for India.

National Youth Day 2025 Overview

National Youth Day History

• In 1984, the Indian Government officially designated January 12, the birthday of Swami Vivekananda, as National Youth Day.
• Since that momentous decision, the entire nation has been celebrating this day annually.
• The government’s primary objective is to inspire and motivate the youth, fostering a vision for a brighter future for the country by aligning their lives with the ideals of Swami Vivekananda.
• National Youth Day serves as a powerful catalyst to awaken the boundless energy within the youth, contributing to the overall development and progress of the nation.

Previous Year’s Theme for National Youth Day

National Youth Day and Swami Vivekananda

• National Youth Day is celebrated on January 12th annually in India.
• It honours the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, born on January 12, 1863, in Kolkata.
• Swami Vivekananda was a philosopher and spiritual leader, known for establishing the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission.
• The day aims to inspire and motivate the youth by promoting Vivekananda’s teachings and ideals.
• The theme for 2024 is “Arise, Awake, and Realise the Power You Hold.”
• Vivekananda’s 1893 speech at the World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago emphasized unity against sectarianism.
• Local clubs, colleges, and schools organize educational and fun events to mark National Youth Day.
• The National Youth Festival logo symbolizes India’s unity in diversity through stylized youth in various colours.

Initiatives for Empowering India’s Youth

• National Youth Festival: Annual event celebrating youth empowerment and talent.
  • Reimagined as “Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue.“
  • Focuses on national integration, leadership, and cultural diversity.
• Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat) Initiative: Autonomous body established in 2023.
  • Aims to provide equal opportunities for youth development.
  • Focuses on youth-led initiatives and technology-driven solutions.
• Viksit Bharat Challenge: Four-stage competition promoting youth participation in nation-building.
  • Includes a quiz, essay writing, pitch decks, and a national championship.
• National Youth Policy (NYP) 2014: Five objectives and 11 priority areas, including skill development, education, and entrepreneurship.
  • Reviewed for a new roadmap aligned with SDGs, targeting youth development by 2030.
• National Youth Awards: Recognizes outstanding contributions of individuals and NGOs to nation-building.
  • Awards include cash prizes, medals, and certificates.
• National Youth Parliament Festival: Encourages youth (18–25 years) to engage in political dialogue.
  • Conducted at district, state, and national levels.
• Skill India Mission: Provides skill training to enhance employability.
  • Focuses on vocational training and entrepreneurship.
• Start-Up India Initiative: Encourages entrepreneurship among youth.
  • Offers financial support and a conducive environment for startups.
• Digital India Programme: Empowers youth with digital literacy and opportunities.
  • Promotes digital entrepreneurship and innovation.
• Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP): Provides financial assistance for self-employment ventures.
• Fit India Movement: Promotes physical fitness and health awareness among youth.
• Unnat Bharat Abhiyan: Involves youth in rural development through technology and innovation.

Inspirational Quotes from Swami Vivekananda

• Arise! Awake! and stop not until the goal is reached.
• “Whatever you are doing, put your whole mind on it. If you are shooting, your mind should be only on the target. Then you will never miss. If you are learning your lessons, think only of the lesson. In India boys and girls are taught to do this.”
• “The goal of mankind is knowledge … Now this knowledge is inherent in man. No knowledge comes from outside: it is all inside. What we say a man ‘knows’, should, in strict psychological language, be what he ‘discovers’ or ‘unveils’; what man ‘learns’ is really what he discovers by taking the cover off his own soul, which is a mine of infinite knowledge.”
• “It is our own mental attitude which makes the world what it is for us. Our thought make things beautiful, our thoughts make things ugly. The whole world is in our own minds. Learn to see things in the proper light. First, believe in this world…”
• “To worship God even for the sake of salvation or any other reward is equally degenerate. Love knows no reward. Give your love unto to God, but do not ask anything in return even from Him through pray.”
• “We are responsible for what we are, and whatever we wish ourselves to be, we have the power to make ourselves. If what we are now has been the result of our own past actions, it certainly follows that whatever we wish to be in future can be produced by our present actions; so we have to know how to act.”

Significance of National Youth Day

• National Youth Day, also called Yuva Diwas, marks the commemoration of Swami Vivekananda’s birthday.
• Celebrated annually with enthusiasm at Ramakrishna Math, Ramakrishna Mission, and affiliated centres.
• Educational institutions like schools and colleges actively participate in the festivities.
• Events include parades, speeches honouring Swami Vivekananda, recitations, and musical performances.
• Conventions, essay-writing competitions, and seminars contribute to the celebratory atmosphere.
• Students play a vital role by delivering writings and lectures inspired by Swami Vivekananda.
• The celebration extends internationally with competitions fostering education and building trust among youths.
• The overall goal is to contribute to the holistic development of the nation through these enriching activities.

Sharing is caring!