Media Release

Mangaluru, Mar 24: St Agnes College (Autonomous) hosted the two-day district-level "Viksit Bharat Youth Parliament" program on March 22 and 23.

Organized by the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, National Service Scheme, Mangalore University, and St Agnes College, the event aimed to engage and empower youth in the nation-building process. It provided a platform for young participants to discuss key national issues and enhance their understanding of the Constitution and the parliamentary system.

 

More than 150 students from Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Kodagu districts participated, representing over 300 districts nationwide. They took part in a three-minute speech competition on the topic "One Nation, One Election."

Speaking at the inauguration, St Agnes College principal Sr Dr M Venissa said, "Students are the future leaders of the country. The youth have a significant responsibility to protect the nation's integrity and heritage. Our goal should be to brighten the country’s future through poverty eradication and women empowerment."

Lokesh Kumar, deputy director of Nehru Yuva Kendra, provided details of the Youth Parliament competition. Also present were Mangalore University political science lecturer Prof Dayanand Nayak, National Service Scheme coordinator Dr Sheshappa Amin K, NSS programme officer of St Agnes College Dr Udayakumar B, and Nehru Yuva Kendra administrative assistant Jagadish K.

Dhanyashree, a second-year BSc student, compered the inaugural program, while first-year BSc student Prapthi compered the valedictory program.

The competition was judged by Prof Dayanand Nayak, senior journalists P B Harish Rai and Pushparaj B N, advocate Nishan N, and Roopashree Dharmaiah Sharma.

The following 10 winners will compete in the state-level event on March 27 in Bengaluru. The topics include "75 Years of the Indian Constitution: A Journey of Rights, Duties, and Progress" and "The 11 Sankalp of Samvidhan Divas: A Pledge to Strengthen India's Constitutional Values."

• Abhijay N S

• Shourya H S

• Sahana Praveen Bhandari

• Mariyam Fasnath Faza

• Christon Joshua Menezes

• Privy D'Souza

• T Sharanya

• Charlie Saraswati

• Avinash Paul Fernandes

• Manu Shetty

The Viksit Bharat Youth Parliament successfully brought together students, government officials, and other stakeholders to discuss and deliberate on key national issues, contributing to the nation's progress and development.