National Youth Day 2024: Theme, Significance And History

National Youth Day 2024: On 12 January 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and also take part in the National Youth Festival in Puducherry. National Youth Day is also known as Rashtriya Yuva Diwas and is celebrated on the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.

“We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far”. – Swami Vivekananda

“All differences in this world are of degree, and not of a kind because oneness is the secret of everything”. – Swami Vivekananda

National Youth Day creates awareness and provides knowledge about the rights of people in India. It is a day to educate people to behave properly in the country. The main objective behind the celebration is to make a better future for the country by motivating the youth and spreading the ideas of the Swami Vivekananda. National Youth Day is also famous as Yuva Diwas.

National Youth Day: History

In 1984, the Indian Government first declared to celebrate the birthday of Swami Vivekananda i.e. 12 January as National Youth Day. Since then the day has been celebrated as National Youth Day all over the country. The government’s main aim is to make a better future for the country by motivating the youths through the way of their life and ideas of the Swami Vivekananda. It is a great way to wake up the eternal energy of the youth as well as to make the country develop.

National Youth Day: Celebrations

National Youth Day or Yuva Diwas or the birthday of Swami Vivekananda is celebrated every year at many centers of Ramakrishna Math, Ramakrishna Mission, and their branches with great enthusiasm and joy according to the Indian culture and tradition. A great mangal aarti, devotional songs, meditation, religious speech, sandhya aarti, etc. are performed.

Also, at various schools, and colleges it is celebrated by performing the parade, speech on Swami Vivekananda, recitations, songs, conventions, essay-writing competitions, seminars, etc. To inspire the Indian youth’s writings and lectures of Swami Vivekananda are also performed by the students. Several competitions are also performed not only in India but outside the country to promote education, trust among youths, etc. to make the country developed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 25th National Youth Festival which is a five-day festival. He will be addressing the gathering on the occasion of Swami Vivekananda’s birthday. The main purpose to celebrate the festival is to increase bonding between the diverse cultures of the country to strengthen the unity of the nation.

On 13 January 2022, National Youth Summit will also be organized with the objective to bring diverse cultures of India and integrate them into a united thread of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’, through an immersive and interactive approach.

National Youth Day: Theme

The theme of 2023 is “Viksit Yuva-Viksit Bharat.”

The Theme of 2022 is “It’s all in the mind.”

The Theme of 2021 was “YUVAAH – Utsah Naye Bharat Ka”

The theme of 2020 was “Channelizing Youth Power for Nation Building”.

The Theme of 2018 was “Sankalp Se Siddhi”.

The theme of 2017 was “Youth for Digital India”.

The theme of 2016 was “Indian Youth for Development, Skill, and Harmony”.

About Swami Vivekananda

“Arise! Awake! and stop not until the goal is reached.” – Swami Vivekananda

“The greatest religion is to be true to your own nature. Have faith in yourselves.” ― Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda’s Pre-monastic name was Narendra Nath Dutta. He was born on 12 January 1863 in Kolkata (previously Calcutta) and died on 4 July 1902. His father’s name was Vishwanath Dutta and his mother’s name was Bhuvaneshwari Devi. He belonged to a well-off family. His father died suddenly at a young age and this broke the financial backbone of his family and pushed him into poverty. Despite being a good student, he failed to get a job for a very long time. He used to ask for a job from door to door but he didn’t get a job and so he became an atheist. One of his English professors introduced him with the name ‘Shri Ramkrishna Paramhamsa’ and in 1881, he met with Shri Ramakrishna Paramhamsa at Dakshineshwar’s Kali temple and became a disciple of Saint Ramakrishna Paramhamsa. He introduced the Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western World. He was extremely patriotic toward India and is considered a hero for his contributions to the philosophies of his country.

He also drew attention to the widespread poverty in India and for the development of the country, the poverty issues should be taken seriously. He is best known for his speech at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago in 1893 when he began his speech while saying “Sisters and brothers of America…..” and he introduced India’s culture, its importance, Hinduism, etc.

Therefore, Swami Vivekananda is a man of wisdom, and faith, a true philosopher whose teachings not only motivated youth but also paved the way for the development of the country. So, that is why 12 January is celebrated as a National Youth Day every year in India with joy and enthusiasm.

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