Empowering Youth, Transforming India

PIB Backgrounder

Empowering Youth, Transforming India

प्रविष्टि तिथि:

13 AUG 2026 1:18PM by PIB Delhi

Amrit Peedhi for Viksit Bharat@2047

India is home to one of the world’s largest youth populations, with nearly 65 percent of its citizens below the age of 35. Over the years, the Government has expanded investment across education, skilling, employment, entrepreneurship, sports, health, and civic participation to convert this demographic advantage into a development dividend. Together, these efforts are enabling the Amrit Peedhi to shape Viksit Bharat @ 2047.

MY Bharat: A Platform for Youth-Led Development

At the centre of this vision is Mera Yuva Bharat, launched in October 2023 for youth aged 15–29. The technology-enabled platform brings volunteering, experiential learning, leadership, skilling, career support and civic participation into a single nationwide ecosystem.

Growing national platform – More than 2.22 crore youth have registered on the platform for volunteering, experiential learning, leadership, skilling, and career opportunities, as of July 2026.

Volunteering at scale – Over 1.52 lakh volunteering opportunities enable young people to participate in community service, environmental action, cultural initiatives and public programmes.

Learning through experience – More than 24,900 experiential learning programmes have connected youth with governance, healthcare, media, technology and public service.

Digital Engagement and Civic Participation

Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2026 – More than 50 lakh youth participated through a nationwide quiz. The dialogue also involved 78 diaspora youth from 21 countries and identified 6,000 young leaders for a district-wise repository.

National Service Scheme (NSS) – Volunteer enrolment increased from 34.09 lakh in 2014–15 to 38.90 lakh in 2025–26.

Education: Access, Quality and Future-Readiness

The education ecosystem has expanded while becoming more flexible, digital and innovation-driven. National Education Policy 2020 places the learner at the centre and links schooling, higher education, skills and employability.

One of the world’s largest school systems – India has 14.67 lakh schools serving 24.72 crore students, supported by more than 1.02 crore teachers.

Improved retention – The secondary-school dropout rate declined from 14.54 % in 2013–14 to 7 in 2025–26.

Digital classrooms – Over 1.49 lakh schools were covered under ICT and digital initiatives by 2025–26, with more than 1.76 lakh smart classrooms and 1.79 lakh ICT laboratories sanctioned (as of March 2026).

Atal Tinkering Labs – More than 10,000 labs have engaged over 1.1 crore student innovators and supported more than 16 lakh projects.

Higher Education and Innovation

Rising enrolment – Higher-education enrolment increased from 3.4 crore in 2014–15 to 4.5 crore in 2023–24; Female enrolment increased 42.2% since 2014-2015 to 2.2 crores in 2023-24.

Institutional growth

Incubation and research – 85 Atal Incubation Centres have created 32,000+ jobs and supported over 2,900 startups.

Flexible Learning and Digital Access

National Credit Framework – More than 700 universities and over 7,500 affiliated colleges have adopted the National Credit Framework (NCrF).

Academic Bank of Credits – 3,123 institutions have been onboarded and more than 35.27 crore APAAR IDs issued, enabling learners to store, transfer, and redeem credits. (as on 12th August 2026).

SWAYAM – As on 12th August 2026, the platform offers more than 20,370 courses and has recorded 6.5 crore+ enrolments.

DIKSHA – Across India, 342 courses have recorded 19.06 crore enrolments, 15.02 crore completions, and the issuance of 13 crore certificates (as on 12th August 2026).

Skilling and Employability

The Government has empowered over 6 crore people through its skilling initiatives. Skill India Mission has shifted training from basic certification towards a demand-led model connected with industry, apprenticeships, digital platforms, and emerging technologies.

Lower unemployment – The unemployment rate declined from 7.71 per cent in 2014 to 4.2 per cent in 2025.

Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) – More than 1.64 crore youth have been trained across four phases since 2015. PMKVY includes industry-linked training in AI, robotics, drones, electronics, green energy, and other future-facing sectors, with on-the-job exposure.

Jan Shikshan Sansthan – 36.48 lakh people were trained till March 2026.

National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) – More than 54.41 lakh apprentices were engaged till March 2026.

Startup India – The number of startups grew from about 350 before 2014 to more than 2.47 lakh by August 2026, making India the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem.

Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme - As of 12th August, 2026, the PM Internship Scheme has provided 1,64,902 internship opportunities across 31 sectors.

PM-SETU – Launched in October 2025 with an estimated outlay of ₹60,000 crore to upgrade 1,000 government ITIs through 200 hubs and 800 spokes, with industry participation and labor-market-led courses.

Between 2014 and 2025, ITIs increased from 9,977 to 14,688; enrolment from 9.5 lakh to 14.7 lakh; National Skill Training Institutes from 25 to 33; and Institutes for Training of

Trainers from 11 to 120.

Sports and Fitness

India has built a structured sports pathway that begins with local talent identification and extends to high-performance support. Sport is increasingly seen as a viable career, backed by coaching, infrastructure, scientific training and competition exposure.

Khelo India infrastructure – Under the scheme, 349 infrastructure projects worth ₹3,176 crore have been approved, alongside the establishment of 1,067 Khelo India Centres and 267 academies. The scheme also supports 2,745 athletes.

Khelo India Games – Since 2018, more than 63,000 athletes have participated in the Youth, University, Winter, Para, Beach, Water Sports and Tribal Games.

Support for elite athletes – The Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) supports 51 Core, 52 Para Core and 130 Development athletes. Core and Development athletes receive monthly stipends of ₹50,000 and ₹25,000, respectively.

Expanded investment – The revamped Khelo India Scheme and enhanced support for National Sports Federations have a combined outlay of ₹36,441 crore for the period 2026–27 to 2030–31.

Health and Well-being

Youth empowerment depends on physical, mental, and preventive healthcare. Government programmes have expanded adolescent-friendly services, mental-health counselling, substance-abuse awareness, and access to comprehensive primary care.

Adolescent health – Adolescent Friendly Health Clinics (AFHCs) increased from 6,619 in 2014–15 to 7,203 in 2021–22. Adolescents receiving clinical and counselling services rose from 39 lakh to 82 lakh in the same period; 97.67 lakh youth registered in the clinic in 2024–25 up to November 2024.

Mental health – Tele-MANAS has handled over 43.70 lakh calls through 53 cells, supported by 23 mentoring institutes and five Regional Coordinating Centres (as on 12th August 2026).

Substance-abuse prevention – As on 12th August, 2026, Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan has reached over 30.05 crore people, including 11.86 crore youth. More than 28.56 lakh activities have been conducted in educational institutions, while over 28.29 lakh persons have received treatment and rehabilitation support.

A Decade of Transformation

Twelve years of sustained, multi-sectoral investment have produced a measurable transformation in India’s youth. More young Indians are staying in education, acquiring industry-relevant skills, entering formal employment, creating businesses, participating in community life, and competing at the highest levels of sport.

The shift has been from access to opportunity, from participation to leadership, and from youth as beneficiaries to youth as co-creators. Policy, institutions, and digital platforms have laid a strong foundation; the Amrit Peedhi is carrying it forward towards Viksit Bharat @ 2047.

References

Ministry of Education

https://udiseplus.gov.in/#/en/home

https://dashboard.udiseplus.gov.in/report2026/static/media/UDISE+2025_26_Booklet_nep.94ceae1e8c2210549d21.pdf (pg 29)

https://www.dohe-education.gov.in/static/uploads/2026/07/426440f1daac445265cdea027ae6a00d.pdf (pg 1)

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2297090&reg=48&lang=2

https://www.abc.gov.in/

https://swayam.gov.in/

https://diksha.gov.in/data/

Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2241240&reg=48&lang=2

https://www.dosje.gov.in/organisation/nasha-mukt-bharat-abhiyaan/

Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1929384&reg=3&lang=2

Ministry of Commerce and Industry

https://www.startupindia.gov.in/

Ministry of Corporate Affairs

https://pminternship.mca.gov.in/login/

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

https://sansad.in/getFile/annex/258/AS147.pdf?source=pqars

https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2024/dec/doc20241228477601.pdf

https://telemanas.mohfw.gov.in/telemanas-dashboard/#/

PIB Backgrounders

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressNoteDetails.aspx?NoteId=159409&ModuleId=3&reg=48&lang=1

https://www.pib.gov.in/FactsheetDetails.aspx?id=150695&NoteId=150695&ModuleId=16&reg=48&lang=2

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressNoteDetails.aspx?NoteId=158887&ModuleId=3&reg=48&lang=1

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2256476&reg=3&lang=2

NITI Aayog

https://aim.gov.in/aic.php

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PIB Research

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