National Youth Day 2026

The Prime Minister paid homage to Swami Vivekananda on his birth anniversary. 

About National Youth Day (12th January)

• National Youth Day is observed annually on 12 January to commemorate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.
• First observed in 1985.
• Objective: To inspire youth, promote education, character-building, and community service.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS).
• Approach: Inter-ministerial collaboration to position youth as active partners, not passive beneficiaries of development.
• The occasion highlights India’s youth-centric policies, recognising that over 65% of India’s population is below 35 years, positioning youth as the backbone of Viksit Bharat @2047.

About Swami Vivekananda (1863 – 1902)

• Birth and Early Life: Swami Vivekananda was born as Narendra Nath Datta on 12 January 1863 in Calcutta (now Kolkata) into a Bengali Kayastha family.
• Guru: Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa
• Adopted name: ‘Vivekananda’ in 1893 at the request of Maharaja Ajit Singh of Khetri
• Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: Described him as the “maker of modern India”
• Death: Vivekananda passed away on 4 July 1902 at the age of 39 at Belur Math, West Bengal.

Vision of Religion and Spirituality

• Synthesis of Thought: Combined Sri Ramakrishna’s spiritual insights with Advaita Vedanta.
• Religion as Science of Consciousness: He viewed religion as a universal, experiential realization of truth.
• Universal Religion: Free from superstition, dogma, intolerance, and priestcraft.
• Goal of Life: Attainment of supreme freedom, knowledge, and happiness.
• Path to Self-Realisation: Emphasised selfless work (Karma Yoga), devotion, and mental discipline to realise the divinity of the soul.

Ethical and Social Philosophy

• Ethical Theory: Swami Vivekananda proposed an ethics based on the intrinsic purity and unity of the Atman.
• Moral Principle: He believed morality flows from the realization that all beings are one in Brahman.
• Service Ethos: Love, compassion, and service to humanity were central to his moral vision.
• Education: He stressed the importance of secular education for economic upliftment and spiritual education for moral strength.
• Antyodaya: He asserted that true development is achieved only when the last and poorest person is uplifted.

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Major Contributions and Institutions

• Chicago Address (1893): His speech at the World’s Parliament of Religions emphasized universal brotherhood and tolerance.
• Ramakrishna Mission: He founded the Ramakrishna Mission in 1897 to blend spirituality with social service.
• Vedanta Society: He established the Vedanta Society of New York in 1894 to spread Indian philosophy abroad

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