Union Minister Raksha Khadse Meets Vice-Chancellors of 93 Universities, Calls for Increased Participation in 'Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2027'

Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Khadse presided over a high-level meeting with the Vice-Chancellors of 93 universities from across the country. The primary objective of the meeting was to increase the participation of higher education institutions in the key youth-centric initiatives of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

The meeting saw participation from Vice-Chancellors of 40 central universities, 38 state universities, and 13 deemed and private universities. Additionally, representatives from the National Sports University of Manipur and the Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education in Gwalior attended. Other attendees included Secretary of Youth Affairs Shri Sunil Paliwal, Joint Secretary Shri Shiv Ratan, Director of Mera Yuva Bharat Shri Salil Kumar, Director of the National Service Scheme Shri Prashant Priya Gautam, and several other academicians.

Addressing the Vice-Chancellors, Ms. Raksha Khadse emphasized the collective responsibility of educational institutions in advancing the vision of 'Viksit Bharat @2047'. She called upon universities to create more opportunities for leadership, community engagement, and constructive dialogue for the youth. She discussed various aspects of the 'Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2027' and encouraged students to participate enthusiastically, providing them an opportunity to share their ideas and solutions with policymakers, experts, and national leaders.

Furthermore, the Minister of State urged the spread of awareness through the 'Nasha Mukt Abhiyan' to empower youth leadership and the use of the 'Yuva Connect program' to link students with various opportunities. She stressed that educational institutions should not limit themselves to the campus but should extend youth initiatives into the communities. Ms. Khadse sought the cooperation of Vice-Chancellors in developing a robust ecosystem for nation-building and social responsibility.

The meeting was also attended by academicians including Professor Nilofar Khan, Professor Diwakar Singh Rajput, Professor Kalpana Sharma, Professor Dibakar Chandra Deka, Daljeet Singh Chaudhary, and Professor Suresh Gosavi.