The BRICS Youth Ministers’ Meeting concluded in the city on Saturday, with the adoption of a Joint Statement affirming the commitment of member nations to deepen youth cooperation and expand young people’s participation in development processes, according to the official release.
The meeting was presided over by the Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Mansukh Mandaviya; along with the Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Raksha Nikhil Khadse; and Secretary, Department of Youth Affairs, Sunil Paliwal. It brought together youth representatives, policymakers and senior officials from BRICS member and partner countries.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Mandaviya said the Union government had prepared a vision document for 2047 and called for developing 1,00,000 young leaders without political backgrounds. He said “MY Bharat”, a platform for volunteering, learning and civic engagement, had over 2.5 crore registered youth.
Mr. Mandaviya said India’s approach during its BRICS Chairship had been to treat young people as active partners rather than mere beneficiaries, calling for a shift “from youth participation to youth partnership; from consultation to co-creation; from programmes for youth to platforms built with youth.”
The Joint Statement covers themes including education and skills, youth entrepreneurship, science and technology, social and cultural participation, poverty alleviation, health and sports, environmental sustainability, interfaith dialogue and youth inclusion.
Mr. Mandaviya also held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from South Africa and the United Arab Emirates, focusing on skill development, entrepreneurship and digital platforms for youth engagement.
The meeting followed the BRICS Youth Summit and the BRICS Youth Council Meeting held in Gandhinagar on August 19 and 20, and marked the culmination of youth-focused engagements under India’s BRICS Chairship for 2026, themed “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”.
Published - August 22, 2026 08:00 pm IST