Jonty Rhodes meets Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, lauds idea of 'Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue'

New Delhi [India], January 11 (ANI): Former South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes, renowned for his brilliance on the cricket field met Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya at the 'Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue' in Delhi on Saturday.
He was full of praise for India's efforts to foster inclusivity and empower its youth during the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue held in Delhi. His also appreciated the idea of presenting ideas to the PM himself.
Reflecting on the unique platform provided to young Indians, Rhodes told ANI, "This is incredible for me because a lot of governments talk about inclusivity and taking ideas from the communities, but the fact that the youth in India has the opportunity to present their ideas to the Prime Minister, I don't think this happens in too many countries, so I am really blown away by it."
The Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue aims to break the 25-year-old tradition of holding the National Youth Festival in a conventional manner. It aligns with the Prime Minister's Independence Day call to engage 1 lakh youth in politics without political affiliations and provide them with a national platform to turn their ideas for a Viksit Bharat into reality.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2025 tomorrow, at around 10 AM, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on the occasion of National Youth Day, commemorating the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.
In line with this, on National Youth Day, the Prime Minister will participate in multiple activities designed to inspire, motivate, and empower the nation's future leaders. Innovative young leaders will make 10 PowerPoint presentations representing the ten thematic areas pivotal to India's development before the Prime Minister.
These presentations reflect the innovative ideas and solutions proposed by young leaders to address some of India's most pressing challenges.
Prime Minister will also release a compilation of best essays written by participants on the ten themes. These themes encompass diverse areas such as technology, sustainability, women empowerment, manufacturing, and agriculture.
3,000 dynamic and motivated youth have been selected to participate in the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue, through the Viksit Bharat Challenge, a meticulously crafted, merit-based multi-level selection process to identify and showcase the most motivated and dynamic young voices from across the nation.
It included three stages with participants ranging from 15 - 29 years. The first stage, Viksit Bharat Quiz, was conducted in 12 languages for youth from all states to take part, and saw participation of around 30 lakh young minds. (ANI)