[ Apasi Linggi and Kara Gambo ]
ITANAGAR, 27 Dec: The ‘Viksit Bharat – State Championship PPT Challenge’ was held at the Papum conference hall of DK Convention Centre here on Friday.
The event provided a platform to 15 talented candidates to present their visionary ideas for a Viksit Bharat (Developed India), drawing from a variety of themes and challenges relevant to the country’s future.
Eleven candidates, divided into five teams, were selected to represent Arunachal Pradesh at the National Youth Festival 2025, scheduled to be held on 11 and 12 January at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
The event concluded with a sense of excitement and optimism, as the youths of Arunachal were given the chance to play an active role in shaping the future of the nation. The Viksit Bharat PPT Challenge proved to be a powerful platform for engaging young minds in nation-building and addressing the critical issues facing India’s development.
It was organised by the state youth affairs directorate, in collaboration with the union youth affairs and sports ministry and the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan.
The event was the culmination of a rigorous selection process, with approximately 7,000 candidates participating in the initial online quiz challenge. From the 79 essay submissions, 49 were shortlisted for the PowerPoint presentation stage.
Following the presentations, candidates underwent one-on-one interviews conducted by Suyash Pande, a member of the advisory council for the union youth affairs ministry.
Throughout the presentations, the candidates covered a variety of important themes related to the country’s development. Mika Das, a participant delivered a presentation on the theme ‘Making India the start-up capital of the world’. Her presentation addressed several critical challenges faced by Indian startups, including the slow and complex registration processes, difficulties in securing initial funding, and the lack of reliable internet connectivity, power supply, and transportation. Das also dwelt on the challenges Indian startups face in expanding into international markets and securing land for operations, and offered practical solutions to foster a startup-friendly environment.
Another participant, Ngamrang Arangham, who focused on ‘Inclusive growth for Viksit Bharat’, tackled important issues such as the digital divide, limited job opportunities, social barriers, and the brain drain, where many talented youths migrate abroad for better prospects. He also addressed the theory-heavy nature of India’s education system, proposing that schools focus more on skill development to prepare the youths for the workforce. His ideas included creating youth-led innovation labs in schools and colleges to foster problem-solving using artificial intelligence, robotics, and biotechnology.
Arangham also emphasised the importance of prioritising mental health, and recommended setting up free mental health centres to support the wellbeing of youths across the nation.
These presentations were part of a larger pool of innovative ideas presented by other candidates, all aiming to contribute to the vision of a Viksit Bharat. The event’s jury included NSS SLO AK Mishra, SBTC state coordinating officer Chongneithem Lhouvum, and RGU Assistant Professors Dr Rajeev Ranjan and Dr Prachand Narayan.
