The National Youth Day or Rashtriya Yuva Divas is celebrated on 12th January every year in commemoration of the great spiritual leader, philosopher and thinker Swami Vivekananda. Background India stands at a historic inflection point, and with 346 million young people projected by 2036, the nation holds one of the largest reservoirs of youth potential in the world. National Youth Day, also known as Vivekananda Jayanti, is celebrated on 12 January, being the birthday of Swami Vivekananda. In 1984 the Government of India declared this day as National Youth Day and since 1985 the event is celebrated in India every year. Swami Vivekananda's unwavering belief in potential of youth continues to resonate deeply with young citizens of the country. His inspiring life and empowering message urge the youth to nurture their dreams, unleash their energies, and shape a future worthy of his envisioned ideals. The youth, defined as those within the age group of 15-29 years, make up nearly 40% of India’s total population. Representing the most vibrant and dynamic segment of society, this group constitutes the nation’s most valuable human resource. With their limitless potential, the youth hold the power to propel India to new heights of progress and innovation. National Youth Day serves as a moment to acknowledge, celebrate, and harness this potential, inspiring young minds to contribute meaningfully to the nation's development Objectives of National Youth Day To generate awareness about the life and message of Swami Vivekananda to inspire and motivate youth into participate in nation building. To involve youth in various activities and to promote spirit of service and volunteerism NYD 2026 Swami Vivekananda's birthday on January 12 is always celebrated as National Youth Day and the week commencing from that day is known as the National Youth Week. As part of National Youth Week celebrations, the Government of India holds the National Youth Festival every year, since 1995. This is an event of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India and is celebrated annually in one of the States in a joint venture. The youth festival aims to propagate the concept of national integration, spirit of communal harmony, brotherhood, courage and adventure amongst the youth by exhibiting their cultural prowess in a common platform. This is done by organizing gatherings of youth across the country and encouraging them to take part in different activities. In 2025, the festival was restructured as the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue (VBYLD) to align with the Viksit Bharat @2047 vision. The Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2026 held during 10 - 12 January 2026 at New Delhi, witnessed participation from over 50 lakh youth across the country at various levels. The young leaders converging at the national-level championship have been selected through a rigorous, merit-based three-stage selection process, comprising a nationwide digital quiz, an essay challenge, and state-level vision presentations. Schemes for Youth development The Department of Youth Affairs implements the umbrella Scheme called Rashtriya Yuva Sashaktikaran Karyakram (RYSK). Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) - Launched in 1972, NYKS is one of the world’s largest youth organizations with the primary goal to develop the personality of youth and engage them in nation-building activities National Youth Corps - Introduced in 2010-11, the objective of the scheme is to set up a group of disciplined and dedicated youth, who have the inclination and spirit to engage in the task of nation building, to facilitate the realization of inclusive growth (both social and economic), to act as points for dissemination of information, basic knowledge in the community, to act as group modulators and peer group educators and to act as role models for the younger cohorts especially towards enhancement of public ethics, probity and dignity of labour. National Programme for Youth and Adolescent Development (NPYAD) - Under NPYAD Scheme, financial assistance is provided to Government/ non-Government organisations for taking up activities for youth and adolescent development. National Young Leaders Programme (NYLP) - NYLP focuses on fostering leadership and innovation among young individuals to enable them to contribute effectively to social and economic development Youth Hostels - Youth Hostels promote travel and exploration by offering affordable accommodations, fostering social and cultural exchange. Hostels provide good accommodation for the youth at reasonable rates, and are looked after by Managers and Wardens, appointed by the Central Government. National Service Scheme (NSS) - Established in 1969, NSS encourages students to engage in community service with the motto “NOT ME, BUT YOU” (Swayam se pehle aap)’. Its objectives include fostering social responsibility, leadership, civic engagement, and national integration while promoting meaningful links between educational institutions and communities. National Youth Awards - Recognizing exemplary contributions by youth and NGOs, the National Youth Awards are conferred every year for excellent work done by them for nation-building/ community service. A cash award of Rs. 1,00,000, a medal and a certificate are given to each individual awardee. The award to voluntary youth organisations comprises of a certificate, a medal and an amount of Rs. 3,00,000. National Youth Policy (NYP-2025) The Government has reviewed and updated the National Youth Policy (NYP) 2014, and has released a draft for the new NYP 2025. NYP-2025 translates its vision into action through six youth-centric focus areas. Each focus area provides a broad direction which align with the core objectives and facilitates youth engagement: Education, Skilling & Employment, Environment and Climate Action,Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Volunteerism & Youth Leadership, Health & Well-being and Sports & Recreation. To read the policy, click here.