National Youth Day 2024: Date, History, Significance, and Celebrations

National Youth Day also known as Rashtriya Yuva Divas is an annual celebration on 12 January. This day is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. His birthday is designated National Youth Day because the Government of India believes that his teachings and beliefs are a great inspiration for the country’s youth. He was one of the greatest philosophers and spiritual leaders. Stay tuned and read this article to learn about Rashtriya Yuva Divas, its history, importance and celebration in India!

Also Read: International Youth Day

When is National Youth Day Celebrated?

In India, National Youth Day is a special day celebrated on the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda i.e. on 12 January. He was a spiritual leader who was born on 12 January 1863. 

He was an important figure in the history of India who introduced the Hindu philosophy of Vedanta and Yoga. During the late 19th century,  he highlighted Hinduism as one of the main world religions.

Some of the other wars led by Swami Vivekananda were for social justice, and the status of women in the society, and he also advocated to uplift the status of people belonging to lower castes in the society. 

Every year the Government of India conducts the National Youth Day festival in India to spread awareness about the teachings of Swami Vivekananda on 12 January. 

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History of National Youth Day

The Government of India recognized the need to celebrate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda as National Youth Day. GOI declared 12 January as Rashtriya Yuva Divas in 1984. Since then, this day has been celebrated every year to honour the contribution of Swami Vivekananda. This day also serves as a day to encourage the youth of the nation. It encourages them to follow the teachings of Swami Vivekananda and walk in his footsteps to carry forward his legacy.

Swami Vivekananda was a follower of Ramakrishna. He also founded the Ramakrishna Mission in 1897 which is a religious Hindu organization working to impart spiritual teachings.

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Significance of the Day

Rashtriya Yuva Divas is celebrated to spread awareness about the teachings of the spiritual leader Swami Vivekananda who strongly advocated for social justice. His birthday is celebrated with great zeal following Indian culture and tradition. National Youth Day is celebrated to spread the ideology of Swami Vivekananda and motivate the youth of the country.

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National Youth Day Festival 2024

The Rashtriya Yuva Divas festival is celebrated every year from 12 January to 16 January at various centres of Ramakrishna Math, Ramakrishna Mission and all its branches. The celebration starts with auspicious mangal aarti, devotional songs, and hyms, followed by meditation, religious speech, and sandhya aarti. 

This year, the venue of the National Youth Festival is in a culturally rich city i.e. Nashik, Maharashtra.

As per the meeting of higher authorities, involving Union Ministers and Secretaries, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra Hon’able Eknath Shinde announced that Nashik will host the 27th National Youth Festival in 2024. 

The Rashtriya Yuva Divas was started in 1995 under the National Integration Camp (NIC) together with Nehru Yuva Kendra Sanganthan (NYKS), as well as the National Service Scheme (NSS) to encourage youth to participate in various activities to celebrate National Youth Day.

Click Here to Learn About Rashtriya Yuva Divas Activities 

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