National Youth Day(Yuva Diwas) is celebrated annually on January 12 across India to recognise and honour the teachings of Swami Vivekananda.
The day also aims to encourage youth in India to become a better person and achieve an honourable life that contributed to the development of the country.
This year(2021) marks the 158th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.
Why January 12?
On this day, Swami Vivekananda was born in 1863 in Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India (currently- Kolkata, West Bengal, India)
Background
- Government of India, declared January 12 as the day in 1984.
- Since 1985, the event has been celebrated in India every year.
24th National Youth Festival and 2nd National Youth Parliament Festival
i.On 12th January, 2021, the opening ceremony of the 24th National Youth Festival and the closing ceremony of 2nd National Youth Parliament Festival(NYPF) will both take place in the Central Hall of Parliament.
ii.The 24th National Youth Festival is celebrated from 12th to 16th January 2021 with a theme ‘YUVAAH – Utsah Naye Bharat Ka’.
iii.On 16th January, 2021, the closing ceremony of this festival will take place in Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi, Delhi.
iv.The 2nd NYPF was launched on 23rd December 2020
About Swami Vivekananda:
i.He was a key person to introduce the Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world.
ii.He was a chief disciple of the 19th-century Indian mystic Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
iii.He founded Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission, situated at an area named Belur in the district of Howrah, West Bengal, India. The entire campus of the headquarters is popularly known as ‘Belur Math’.
iv.He died on 4th July 1902.
Other Days Related to Youth
International Youth Day – August 12
