Raipur, Aug 18 : Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai chaired a high-level state review meeting of the Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat) initiative at Mahanadi Bhawan on Tuesday, directing officials to expand youth participation across government schemes to foster nation-building.

Addressing the meeting, CM Sai highlighted India’s demographic advantage, noting that youth energy, talent, and innovative potential are vital to achieving the vision of a Developed India (Viksit Bharat) and Developed Chhattisgarh (Viksit Chhattisgarh). He urged departments to provide platform-driven opportunities aligned with young people’s interests, fostering leadership, social responsibility, and community service.

The Chief Minister instructed officials to broaden youth engagement via MY Bharat across core sectors including health, education, sports, environmental conservation, tourism, skill development, agriculture, technical education, and disaster management.

“Under the ‘Empowered Youth–Empowered Chhattisgarh’ vision, a strong youth network must be established from the village to the state level,” CM Sai stated, calling for targeted activities around talent identification, leadership building, and digital detox.

Official records revealed that over 6.60 lakh youth from Chhattisgarh have registered on the MY Bharat portal out of 2.65 crore registrations nationwide since its launch on 31 October 2023. In the state, 2,389 youth have participated in 233 Experiential Learning Programmes (ELPs), while over 23,900 volunteers joined 5,778 service activities.

CM Sai laid special emphasis on Bastar, noting that as the region emerges from Naxal violence into an era of peace and development, integrating local youth with nation-building initiatives remains a top priority. He cited events like the Bastar Olympics and Bastar Pandum as critical platforms for nurturing tribal talent.

During the meeting, MY Bharat volunteer Aditi presented a tribal artwork to the Chief Minister, who commended her creative talent.

Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao, Chief Secretary Vikas Sheel, Principal Secretary to CM Subodh Kumar Singh, Secretary to CM Rahul Bhagat, Sports and Youth Welfare Department Secretary Yashwant Kumar, Director Tanuja Salam, and MY Bharat CEO Dr Priyanka Shukla were among those present.