In a vibrant display of civic engagement and leadership, the “Viksit Bharat Youth Parliament 2026” was held in Gangtok yesterday. The event provided a platform for the state’s brightest young minds to debate the national budget and share their vision for India’s future as a developed nation by 2047. Organized by MY Bharat Sikkim in collaboration with the NSS and the Department of Sports & Youth Affairs, the competition saw 25 participants representing various districts of the state. The central theme of the day focused on “Union Budget 2026: Strengthening the Path of Youth Towards Viksit Bharat 2047.”
The Chief Guest, Basant Yonzon, Chairman of the State Youth Development Board, joined Deputy Director Mangal Jakhar in welcoming the participants. The speakers emphasized that the energy and creativity of the youth are the “sensitive forces” capable of making or breaking a nation.
A recurring theme in the participants’ speeches was a fundamental shift in professional aspirations. Highlighting the provisions of the Union Budget 2026, the young leaders argued that Indian youth must now aspire to be entrepreneurs and job creators rather than just job seekers. The discussions also spotlighted the burgeoning “Orange Economy”—the creative sector—thanking the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for recently projecting Sikkim’s talent through the International Film Festival. These three winners have earned the prestigious opportunity to represent Sikkim at the Parliament of India in New Delhi. In a final show of encouragement, the victors met with the Speaker of the Sikkim Legislative Assembly, who presented them with tokens of appreciation for their role as state ambassadors. The event, moderated by former state representative Kezia Chettri, concluded with a call to action for all participants to channel their potential smoothly toward the national vision of a developed India.
