Modi asks youth to experience ‘real India’ through Vibrant Village initiative

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Viksit Vibrant Village programme encourages young people to experience India's border villages firsthand, fostering national integration, patriotism and a deeper understanding of rural aspirations through direct engagement with local communities

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the objective of the Viksit Vibrant Village (VVV) programme, under which youths visit border villages and live with local communities, is to give opportunities to youngsters to step onto the ground to understand and connect with India instead of relying on virtual means.

Interacting with the participants, many of whom belong to Gen Z, of the VVV programme 2026 that covered 74 ‘vibrant villages’ across Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, Modi said in the country’s border villages, the aspiration for development and the spirit of patriotism are equally cherished. At times, it feels that for these people the country matters more than themselves.

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The prime minister said that during the Developed India Young Leaders Dialogue, he had presented an idea before the youth. “The idea was that why not have the youth, instead of using virtual medium, step onto the ground to know India, connect with India, try to live India, and understand India,” he said.

Modi said there are so many aspirations for development in India’s villages and these can be understood by visiting these villages. In his virtual interaction with participants, the prime minister said developed villages are the cornerstone of a developed India too and his government has considered border villages as the country’s first village.

“This journey of the developed Vibrant Village is itself a medium to connect everyone, to connect with everyone,” he said, encouraging the youth to connect with the land as it makes the vision of a developed India even more expansive.

The prime minister, however, did not refer to the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protests over the NEET paper leak issue which concluded on Saturday after the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as Education Minister and the acceptance of the protesters’ other demands by the government.

The participants were largely mobilised through various virtual mediums, including Instagram, and protesters mostly belonged to Gen Z.

Modi said the aim of the VVV programme was that youth from different districts of the country should travel to the villages of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Ladakh. “When the youth of the country connects with the land, it makes the vision of a developed India even more expansive. This youth, in their heart, strengthens the resolve to live for the country, to do something for the country,” he said.

The prime minister said in today’s programme, youth from nearly 250 districts across the country were connected. “A few years ago, we created the MY Bharat platform. Today, millions of youth from across the country are connected to it. And today, the youth friends of MY Bharat are doing highly commendable work throughout the country,” he said.

While interacting with the prime minister, Nikita from Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli recalled how she was taken care of by ITBP personnel when she was in a forward village in Himachal Pradesh. She still connects with the couple who hosted her at a homestay there.

Bhavyya from Telangana shared her experience of having ‘aloo parantha’ and wearing a heavy jacket and gloves to protect from the harsh winter. Ashish Soni from Jaunpur in UP recalled his visit to Hikkim post office in Himachal Pradesh, recognised as the highest functional post office in the world.

All those who interacted with the prime minister noted that mobile network and road infrastructure were world-class. They said UPI is accepted from Himachal Pradesh to Uttarkashi to Ladakh. The VVP Programme, implemented through MY Bharat, has been conceptualised to realise the prime minister’s vision of treating India’s border villages as the first villages of the nation and making them active partners in the journey towards Viksit Bharat, an official statement said.

MY Bharat is an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The Viksit Vibrant Village Programme 2026 was organised in two phases from 4 June to 30 June 2026, covering 74 vibrant villages across Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Over 400 youth participants, representing every state and Union territory, were selected through a nationwide online quiz competition that witnessed participation from more than three lakh youth.

As part of the programme, participants lived with local communities and undertook activities such as Swachhta drives, awareness campaigns on government schemes, Yuva Sammelans, cultural exchange programmes, tree plantation drives, Mini Model Panchayat simulations, interactions with local artisans and visits to institutions of strategic importance.

The programme provided participants with first-hand exposure to the socio-economic landscape, cultural heritage and developmental aspirations of India’s frontier regions, while fostering community participation, national integration and a deeper understanding of the strategic importance of border villages.