Raipur: On the occasion of National Youth Day, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai honored eight exceptional young individuals from Chhattisgarh and the Youth Star Seva Samiti of Dhamtari district for their remarkable contributions in diverse fields. The awards were presented during the Yuva Ratna Samman ceremony organized by the Department of Sports and Youth Welfare at Naveen Vishram Bhavan, Raipur.
Honoring Excellence Across Social, Cultural, and Academic Fields
Chief Minister Sai highlighted the significance of Swami Vivekananda’s 163rd birth anniversary, recalling how the spiritual leader elevated India’s cultural pride and global recognition by the age of 31. Addressing the gathering, he emphasized the government’s commitment to nurturing and empowering the youth of the state. He encouraged young achievers to follow Vivekananda’s principles of determination, dedication, and hard work to achiev e their goals.
Vice Chief Minister and Minister of Sports & Youth Welfare Speaks on Youth Potential
Deputy Chief Minister and Sports & Youth Welfare Minister Arun Saw praised Swami Vivekananda’s inspiration for millions of young Indians. He noted that the overwhelming response to the Yuva Ratna awards demonstrated the abundance of talent in Chhattisgarh. For the first time, the state government recognized individual achievements in social service and personal excellence through this award, targeting youth aged 15 to 29 years.
Departmental Support and Selection Process
Yashwant Kumar, Secretary of the Sports and Youth Welfare Department, said that selecting winners from numerous applications across multiple domains was a challenging task. The awards aim to acknowledge and highlight the state’s youth accomplishments. Key dignitaries present at the ceremony included Chhattisgarh State Youth Commission Chairperson Vishv Vijay Singh Tomar, Raipur Zilla Panchayat Chairperson Naveen Kumar Agrawal, and Deputy Director of Sports and Youth Welfare Department Rashmi Thakur.
Awardees Recognized for Excellence in Various Fields
- Science and Innovation: Piyush Jaiswal, the youngest astrophysics PhD scholar from Bemetara and gold medalist at NASO Olympiad.
- Social Work: Shilpa Sahu from Kanker
- Literature: Amit Yadav from Sarguja
- Innovation: Mrinal Vidani from Mahasamund
- Education: Paridhi Sharma from Durg
- Sports: Sanju Devi, international Kabaddi player from Bilaspur
- Arts & Culture: Sachin Kunhare from Kawardha
- Folk Art: Aru Sahu
- Community Development: Youth Star Seva Samiti, Khurtuli, Dhamtari, recognized for outstanding work in health, environment, cleanliness, literacy, women empowerment, social awareness, drug de-addiction, voter awareness, and water conservation.
The awards underscore Chhattisgarh’s commitment to celebrating youth achievements and encouraging the next generation to contribute meaningfully to society.
This ceremony reflects the state government’s continuous efforts to identify, nurture, and honor young talent across multiple sectors, inspiring others to pursue excellence and social impact.
