Over 50 lakh youth participate in quiz contest for MYAS 'Viksit Bharat Dialogue'

New Delhi, Nov 10 (PTI) Over 50 lakh youngsters have participated in the quiz contest held to short-list the candidates for next year's Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue (VBYLD) which will be held from January 10 to 12, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports said on Monday.

The VBYLD 2026 Quiz, jointly hosted on the MY Bharat and MyGov platforms from September 1 to October 31, drew participation from 50.42 lakh youth, surpassing the previous edition's record of 30 lakh participants.

Youth from all 28 States and eight Union Territories joined the initiative.

"The initiative saw nearly equal participation from young men and women, with 51 per cent male and 49 per cent female representation. Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Haryana, and West Bengal emerged as the top five states with the highest number of participants," the ministry stated.

"This remarkable engagement reflects the growing aspiration of India's young population to contribute meaningfully to governance, policy design, and India's developmental journey towards becoming a Viksit Bharat," it added.

The Phase–2 of VBYLD 2026 will invite approximately 2.56 lakh shortlisted youth to share their views through an Essay Round on 10 key national themes shaping the vision of a developed India.

The topics would include 'Youth in Democracy and Government for Viksit Bharat', 'Women-Led Development, 'Making India the Start-up Capital of the World' and 'Bharat's Soft Power: Cultural Diplomacy and Global Influence for Viksit Bharat', among others.

Essays, to be written in any of 22 Indian languages, will be accepted till November 20.

"To ensure fair and transparent evaluation, assessment centres have been established across all States, where submissions will be reviewed and the most promising young contributors will be shortlisted for the State-Level Rounds where they will share their vision for Viksit Bharat through presentations," the ministry stated. PTI PM AM PM AM AM