New Delhi: The Department of Youth Affairs’ MY Bharat initiative has signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the School of Ultimate Leadership Foundation (SOUL) to jointly drive youth leadership development across India. The partnership targets the creation of 100,000 youth leaders aged 18–29 through capacity building, knowledge sharing, and inclusive training programmes.
The collaboration will focus on diverse domains, including governance, public policy, social entrepreneurship, foreign policy, communications, digital literacy, and financial literacy. The MoU can be extended beyond its initial term with mutual agreement.
Nationwide, Inclusive Leadership Development
Selection for the leadership programmes will adopt a pan-India, merit-based and inclusive process, ensuring representation from rural, urban, aspirational, tribal, women, and marginalised communities.
Key activities under the MoU include:
- Designing, developing, and delivering leadership programmes in multiple disciplines.
- Organising youth conclaves, seminars, workshops, and fellowships.
- Capacity building for youth-serving organisations, educational and training institutions.
- Joint research and policy advocacy in youth leadership.
- Sharing of best practices and leadership models nationwide.
- Exchange of trainers, resource persons, and expertise between MY Bharat and SOUL.
- Developing training materials, curriculum, and assessment tools.
- Hosting networking events to connect youth leaders across the country.
- Conducting an online quiz-based selection process for programme participants.
Online Programme Launch in September
As part of the initiative, an online leadership programme will be launched in September 2025 to equip young Indians with essential leadership skills. The programme will serve as a key step towards building a network of empowered, socially conscious leaders committed to national development.
