Mysore/Mysuru: The Maharaja College Centenary Hall was jam-packed this morning as hundreds of youths from all over the district converged for a day-long District-Level Neighbourhood Youth Parliament. The event was organised by Mysuru District Nehru Yuva Kendra (NYK) in association with University of Mysore’s NSS Unit, Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports and a host of other organisations, marking the 75th year of Indian Independence. Inaugurating the event, M.N. Nataraj, State Director, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sanghatane, said that the event, a part of Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav has been launched in Karnataka from Mysuru.

“Our population has risen to 133 crore from 33 crore from 1947 and this event has been organised to tap talent among youths for progress,” he said. The Union Government established NYKs in 1972 marking the Silver Jubilee celebrations of independence and now NYKs are functioning in 748 districts.

“NYK has associated with NSS of Universities to tap and nurture youth talent. Youths in the age group of 15 to 29 years form more than one-third of the country’s population and the Government is making all efforts to tap youth potential,” Nataraj said.

Underlining the role of youths in nation building, Nataraj said that youths should dedicate at least 2 hours per week for cleaning activities in their neighbourhood at villages or towns or cities and thus contribute to the ‘Swachh Bharat’ campaign.

Stressing on the need for the youths to stay fit, he said that they should engage in a variety of physical activities such as Yoga for at least 30 minutes a day. He called upon the youths to engage themselves in educating the rural and less educated population on the importance of sanitation and maintenance of cleanliness and hygiene.

University of Mysore Registrar Prof. B. Shivappa said that the University is promoting NSS programmes to the maximum and called upon youths to engage themselves in nation building.

The event featured a series of lectures in which former faculty Prof. Ramegowda delivered a talk on the topic ‘Ek-Bharat Shreshta Bharat’, Prof. K.M. Prasanna Kumar of Government First Grade College, Siddharthanagar, on ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’, Dr. M.P. Varsha, Director, Credit-I, Mysuru on ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padao’ and GSS Foundation’s  D. Srihari on ‘Clean India, Swachh Bharat’.

The event also featured a talk on Ayushman Bharat, Covid awareness/vaccination and Cancer awareness. M.N. Nataraj, who is on his first official visit to the city after taking over as State Director of NYK, was felicitated. UoM NSS officer Dr. M.B. Suresh, Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports Assistant Director K. Suresh, District Nehru Yuva Kendra officer Vinay Kumar and others were present.