BRICS Youth summit begins in Guwahati

 Inaugurating the three-day youth summit at the lawns of Hotel Brahmaputra Ashok, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal exuded the optimism that the youth of the state and the region will develop the spirit of unity and friendship with the youth from the BRICS nations.

Sonowal said the BRICS Youth Summit 2016 in Guwahati will go a long way in building camaraderie and bonhomie among the youths of the BRICS nations and help the build skill and entrepreneurship in a big way.

  “I am sure the youth of the State and the region will get the opportunity and take advantage of such a big platform to exchange ideas and opinions on a wide spectrum of issues with the youth from BRICS nations in the next two days,” Sonowal said.

“I want to specially offer my thanks to PM Narendra Modiji and Youth Affairs  and Sports Minister Singhji for giving us the opportunity to host the prestigious event in Guwahati and that, too, when my Government completed just one month in office. My State is on focus today as the summit has put Assam in the world map,” Sonowal said.

Appreciating Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his initiative in Russia during the first BRICS Youth Summit for which Assam got the opportunity to host the event, the Assam CM said that PM Modi has been giving top priority to the overall development of the North East part of the country by activating the Act East Policy and building bridges of understanding with South East Asian countries.

The Assam hoped that the deliberations in the next two days would be meaningful and purposeful giving a new dimension to youth power.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports (independent), Dr. Jitendra Singh said that the North East part of the country would emerge as a destination of entrepreneurship in 2016.

The Union Minister said that besides the 3-year tax holiday, Ministry of DoNER has decided to offer added incentive of venture fund to those willing to invest in the region.

Dr. Singh was highly optimistic that the BRICS nations which comprise 43 per cent of the world population and with 30 per cent GDP and 17 per cent of world trade holds the key to the future of 21st century world if ‘we work seriously, judiciously and assiduously.

The Union minister also said that India with 65 per cent population of below 35 years is emerging as a youth power to be reckoned with.

“It is on the shoulders of our youth and that of the member BRICS nations that the future of our economy hinges,” Singh said.

Dr. Singh said that the importance the region holds for Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been amply reflected with the hosting of the prestigious event in Guwahati.

“I am elated that after assuming the office of Youth Affairs and Sports three weeks ago I was given the important international assignment of holding the BRICS Youth Summit in Guwahati. I am doubly delighted since I hold the Ministry of DoNER which happens to be the only ministry in the entire country constituted to look after the region,” the Union minister said.

Earlier, the welcome address was delivered by Chief Secretary VK Pipersenia.

The inaugural session was attended, among others, by Minister, Assistant President of All China Youth Federation, Xuejun Wan, Joint Secretary, National Youth Secretariat, Brazil, Roberta Pires Ferriera de Miranda Silva, Federal Agency on Youth Affairs, Russia, Evko Olga, Deputy Minister, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, South Africa, Buta Manamela, Secretary, Youth Affairs and Sports, Govt. of India, Rajiv Gupta, former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and several ministers.

An interactive session was also held in which participants and youth delegates posed a volley of questions on the economy, policies, culture, sports et al to the visiting foreign dignitaries.

The second day of the BRICS Youth Summit 2016 held on Saturday at Vivanta Taj in Guwahati begins with the Yoga and Meditation Session followed by the 4 working sessions wherein the members from the BRICS member nation Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa deliberated on the Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Social inclusion, Youth Voluntarism and Youth Participation in Governance.

Similarly, on the 3rd Day of the Summit  on July 3, it will begin with the Yoga and Meditation followed by presentation of working session reports and finalization of the adoption of the Guwahati BRICS call on Action on Youth.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)