PM Modi Urges Youth to Explore Border Villages
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged young Indians to visit the country’s border villages, saying direct interaction with local communities provides a deeper understanding of India than relying solely on virtual platforms.
Modi Encourages Border Village Visits
Addressing participants in the Viksit Vibrant Village Programme 2026 through video conferencing, Modi said travel to remote frontier areas could help young people understand the country’s geography, culture and social diversity.
He encouraged participants to share their experiences with friends, families and educational institutions. Such visits, he said, could strengthen awareness of the lives and contributions of communities residing near India’s borders.
Viksit Vibrant Village Programme
More than 400 young people from across India participated in the programme. They were selected through a nationwide online quiz that reportedly attracted over three lakh participants.
The initiative was conducted in two phases between June 4 and June 30, covering 74 border villages in Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Participants stayed with local communities and learned about development priorities, livelihoods and regional traditions.
Activities included cleanliness campaigns, tree-planting drives, youth meetings, cultural exchanges and awareness programmes on government schemes. Participants also met local artisans, visited strategically important institutions and took part in model panchayat exercises.
Border Villages and Viksit Bharat
Modi described developed villages as an important foundation for the Viksit Bharat goal. He said border settlements should be viewed as the country’s first villages rather than its last habitations.
The programme is designed to increase youth participation in rural development while drawing attention to infrastructure, tourism and economic opportunities in frontier regions. It also seeks to build stronger connections between young citizens and communities living in geographically remote areas.
