Jaipur, Aug 27 — Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma on Thursday described the youth as the nation’s greatest asset, saying their confidence, perseverance and hard work are essential to achieving the vision of a developed India.

Joining Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘MY Bharat – Khelo India Samvad’ programme via video conference from Subodh PG College in Jaipur, Sharma said the nation’s resolve to build a ‘Viksit Bharat’ could be achieved through the patience, self-confidence and tireless efforts of young people.

The programme marked National Sports Day. Paying tribute to hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand, Sharma said the day provided an opportunity to remember his exceptional contribution to the sport.

He added that PM Modi believed India could win more medals only if it developed a strong sporting culture across the country.

Sharma said sports were increasingly becoming a powerful instrument of nation-building and that the revised ‘Khelo India’ scheme, with a Central Government outlay of Rs 36,000 crore, would provide fresh momentum to the sector. He noted that India’s sports ecosystem had undergone significant transformation since 2014.

Referring to Swami Vivekananda’s vision that the 21st century would belong to India, Sharma said the country was progressing towards becoming the world’s third-largest economy. He pointed out that around 65 per cent of India’s population was under 35, making youth participation crucial to development.

He said the ‘MY Bharat’ digital platform, launched with the inspiration of PM Modi, was providing young people opportunities in skill development, leadership and civic participation. He described it as more than a digital portal, saying it connected the potential of the ‘Amrit Peedhi’ with the vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat’.

Sharma said Rajasthan had also launched the ‘Suyog’ platform to connect young people with sports, skill development, employment and community engagement, to bring youth from every village and ward into the mainstream of development. He said the state government was working to strengthen sports infrastructure and provide athletes with better training, modern facilities, financial security and recognition.

Rajasthan has established 50 Khelo India centres, while Centres of Excellence for athletics, archery and boxing are being developed at Sawai Mansingh Stadium. Maharana Pratap Sports University is being established in Jaipur at an estimated cost of Rs 101 crore.

The Chief Minister said 186 athletes who brought recognition to Rajasthan at national and international levels had been appointed to government services. Financial assistance and incentives amounting to approximately Rs 52 crore had so far been provided to 3,540 athletes.

Rajasthan also hosted the Khelo India University Games-2025 for the first time, with around 7,000 athletes from 222 universities participating across seven cities. At the Khelo India Youth Games-2025, Rajasthan athletes secured third position nationally after winning 60 medals.

Sharma congratulated Arundhati Choudhary and Yashveer Singh for winning gold and bronze medals, respectively, at the recently held Commonwealth Games.

He said the Rajasthan Youth Policy-2026 had opened new opportunities for young people in education, skill development, sports and leadership. Under the ‘One District-One Sport’ initiative, each district was promoting a particular sport. The government had also launched the Rajasthan Target Olympic Podium Scheme to help athletes win medals at the Olympic Games.

The monthly mess allowance for athletes in departmental academies has been increased from Rs 2,600 to Rs 4,000. Sharma said the state government was addressing the aspirations of young people through its budgets and recruitment initiatives.

A calendar for recruitment examinations has been released, and the government has conducted 410 examinations so far without paper leaks, according to the Chief Minister. He added that more than 189,000 appointments had been made, while recruitment for more than 122,000 posts was also underway.

Sharma reiterated that empowering young people through employment, sports, skills and leadership opportunities remained a key priority of the state government.

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