Youth Lead Democracy: Model Youth Gram Sabha Awards Conferred in Delhi

The substantial prize incentives aim to promote excellence in participatory and experiential civic learning, motivating more institutions to adopt innovative approaches to democratic education.

In a strong affirmation of youth-led democratic engagement, Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj, Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel, today conferred the National Awards for Model Youth Gram Sabha (MYGS) at a ceremony held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The event brought together nearly 900 participants, including students, teachers, elected representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions and key stakeholders from across the country.

On the occasion, dignitaries released a comprehensive MYGS Compendium (English and Hindi) documenting the transformative journey of the initiative. The compendium highlighted how over 28,000 students from 619 Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) and 200 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) actively participated in simulated Gram Sabha and Gram Panchayat proceedings, gaining first-hand exposure to grassroots governance.

National Winners and Incentives

In the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) category:

• 1st Prize: JNV Una, Himachal Pradesh – ₹1 crore

• 2nd Prize: JNV Kannur, Kerala – ₹75 lakh

• 3rd Prize: JNV Ukhrul-I, Manipur – ₹50 lakh

In the Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) category:

• 1st Prize: EMRS Kosambuda, Chhattisgarh – ₹1 crore

• 2nd Prize: EMRS Hirli, Odisha – ₹75 lakh

• 3rd Prize: EMRS Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh – ₹50 lakh

The substantial prize incentives aim to promote excellence in participatory and experiential civic learning, motivating more institutions to adopt innovative approaches to democratic education.

Youth as the Future of Grassroots Democracy

Addressing the gathering, Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel described MYGS as a paradigm shift in civic education, providing students with hands-on exposure to grassroots democracy. He said the initiative strengthens the spirit of Gram Swaraj, nurtures leadership qualities, and builds early awareness of government schemes and public institutions.

Highlighting the broader democratic vision, the Minister credited Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s leadership in advancing women’s empowerment, referring to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which provides 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and State Assemblies. He also called for greater awareness and uptake of welfare schemes such as Jan Dhan Yojana, PM Jeevan Bima Suraksha Yojana, PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Ayushman Bharat, stressing that informed participation is essential for inclusive development and the realisation of Viksit Bharat.

Aligning Youth Leadership with National Vision

Shri Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, said MYGS aligns with the Prime Minister’s vision of nurturing one lakh young leaders across the country. Congratulating the students and teachers, he noted that MYGS promotes “vyakti aur vyaktitva nirmaan” by cultivating leadership values early and encouraging youth to address grassroots challenges meaningfully.

Shri Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy, emphasised that MYGS complements the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 by bridging classroom learning with real-world governance. He highlighted its alignment with experiential learning and “bagless days,” and called for scaling up the initiative across schools nationwide.

A Day of Live Democracy in Action

The ceremony was attended by senior officials including Shri Sushil Kumar Lohani, Additional Secretary, MoPR; Shri Alok Prem Nagar, Additional Secretary, MoPR; Shri Rajesh Lakhani, Commissioner, Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti; and Shri Ajeet Kumar Srivastava, Commissioner, EMRS. Shri Chandra Shekhar Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Minority Affairs, and Ms. Pallavi Jain Govil, Secretary, Department of Youth Affairs, addressed the inaugural session.

The day-long programme began with live mock Gram Sabha demonstrations by JNV Una, Himachal Pradesh and EMRS Kosambuda, Chhattisgarh, where students conducted proceedings with remarkable realism—demonstrating how young citizens can actively participate in democratic processes.

The Model Youth Gram Sabha initiative continues to emerge as a powerful national platform for nurturing informed, confident and participative youth leadership—laying strong foundations for grassroots democracy and nation-building.