Viksit Bharat Youth Parliament – South Goa Nodal District

The District Level Viksit Bharat Youth Parliament was held at Don Bosco College of Engineering in associaition with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Govt. of India on 9 March 2026. The Chief Guest for the program was Shri Damodar Shirodkar, Chairperson, Margao Municipal Council. Other dignitaries present included Fr. Wilfred Fernandes, Director, DBCE; Dr. Neena Panandikar, Principal, DBCE; Dr. Nitin Sawant, Coordinator, NSS Cell, Goa University; Mr. Satyesh Kakodkar, Nodal Officer, VBYP, South Goa Nodal District; and Dr. Chetan Gaonkar, NSS Programme Officer, DBCE.

The program commenced with the watering of a plant. Dr. Neena Panandikar welcomed the gathering, followed by an address by Fr. Wilfred Fernandes, who emphasized the role of youth in nation building. Dr. Nitin Sawant motivated the participants to develop perseverance and confidence. Dr. Chetan Gaonkar introduced the panel of judges. In his address, Shri Damodar Shirodkar encouraged the youth to cultivate good habits and actively participate in constructive activities. The dignitaries and judges were felicitated with mementos. The inaugural function concluded with the vote of thanks proposed by Mr. Satyesh Kakodkar, followed by the National Anthem.

Later, the Youth Parliament session commenced, where participants delivered their speeches on the topic “50 Years of Emergency: Lessons for Indian Democracy.” Participants had been instructed to report for registration at 9:00 a.m. 31 participant across 9 colleges of South Goa participated at this district-level round.

The speeches were evaluated by a panel of judges comprising Ms. Nelly Rodrigues (Administrator, Goa Panchayat Mahila Shakti Abhiyan), Mr. Dhiraj Harmalkar (Senior Reporter, Lokmat, Margao), Fr. Austin Fernandes (Director, Don Bosco Youth Services), Mr. Nrupenmadhav N. Desai (Youth Leader and Social Activist), and Ms. Rucha Vasta (Councillor, Curchorem–Cacora Municipal Council).

Based on their evaluation, the top 10 participants were selected to represent the district at the State Level Round of the Viksit Bharat Youth Parliament.

The event provided an excellent platform for young participants to express their views on democratic values and national development while encouraging youth engagement in meaningful public discourse.