‘Apna Vote Jaanein’ drive: 46 youth dialogues in 21 states, 6,688 young people took part

What happened

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports’ Department of Youth Affairs, through MY Bharat (Mera Yuva Bharat), held 46 events of ‘Viksit Bharat Yuva Samvad: Apna Vote Jaanein’ on 30 October 2026. The events were held across 21 states and union territories and 6,688 young people took part in all.

The campaign is running from 26 October to 5 November 2026. It aims to reach 500 universities, colleges and educational institutions across the country.

What the campaign is for

The initiative aims to raise electoral awareness among young people, especially first-time voters, and encourage them to take part in the democratic process thoughtfully. Young people are introduced to voting rights, election procedures and civic responsibilities.

They also get a chance to talk with elected representatives, youth icons and other distinguished people about democratic participation and their role in nation-building.

How many events so far

According to the release, 96 youth dialogues had been held in 27 states and union territories till 30 October 2026. These saw 18,475 young people and 97 youth icons take part.

Where the events were held

The 30 October events spread across north, northeast, east, central, west and south India. These included Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

In Punjab, dialogue sessions with youth icons were held in Faridkot, Fatehgarh Sahib, Gurdaspur and Moga. In Doda and Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir, participants discussed electoral awareness and civic duty. In Chhatarpur, Gwalior and Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh, young people spoke with elected representatives.

In Uttar Pradesh, Lakhimpur Kheri hosted a de-addiction awareness session and a lecture on the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue, while Shravasti held a neighbourhood youth parliament. In Vaishali, Bihar, participants took a democratic oath. In Madurai, Tamil Nadu, a discussion was held on the women’s reservation bill, modelled on parliamentary proceedings.

What this means for ordinary people

This is an awareness campaign, not a government scheme or a recruitment drive. The release does not mention any application, fee or documents needed to take part. If such an event is held at your college or university, you can join it to learn about voting and the election process.