In a major step toward bringing young visionaries into the fold of national governance, Odisha’s Minister for Sports and Youth Services, Suryabanshi Suraj, officially inaugurated the state rollout of the ‘Viksit Bharat Youth Leadership Dialogue (VBYLD)-2027’ today at the iconic Kalinga Stadium.
Implemented nationally by ‘MY Bharat’ under the aegis of the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, this flagship initiative provides a nationwide platform for young minds to pitch transformative ideas aligned with the ‘Viksit Bharat @2047’ vision.
Addressing a press conference during the launch, Minister Suraj emphasized the program’s unique potential to act as an incubator for youth-led progress. He noted that the initiative serves as an active bridge helping young citizens transition “from classrooms to boardrooms and playgrounds to parliament.”
To ensure that innovative proposals advance beyond ideation into real-world applications and commercial products, the government is collaborating with top-tier academic institutions, including the IITs. At the state level, Odisha’s Department of Sports and Youth Services has partnered with ‘MY Bharat’ and the National Service Scheme (NSS) to conduct grassroots awareness campaigns across all 30 districts of the state. Invoking Swami Vivekananda’s enduring ethos on youth strength, Minister Suraj urged Odisha’s talent pool to participate wholeheartedly.
Competition Pipeline & Core Focus Areas
The selection process follows a multi-tiered evaluation roadmap designed to identify and hone top talent:
- Viksit Bharat Quiz: An online qualifying quiz hosted on the MY Bharat portal from August 17 to September 30, 2026, open to participants aged 15 to 29.
- Essay Challenge: Top performers advance to a 500-word essay writing competition.
- District & State Rounds: Qualifiers present their strategic models before district and state-level judging panels.
- National Dialogue: Finalists from Odisha will earn a trip to New Delhi to present their vision directly to Union Ministers, key policymakers, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The program features six primary engagement tracks:
- Viksit Bharat Challenge
- Cultural Track
- Design for Bharat
- Hack for Social Cause
- Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge
- Youth Parliament
Students across high schools, colleges, and universities throughout Odisha are encouraged to register on the official portal at https://mybharat.gov.in/vbyld-2027.
The launch event was attended by high-ranking dignitaries, including Sports Director Dr. Yeddula Vijay, Additional Secretary of Sports & Youth Services Sudhakar Naik, and State Directors representing MY Bharat and NSS.
