Text of PM’s address during Viksit Vibrant Village Programme 2026

The Prime Minister addressed the Viksit Vibrant Village Programme 2026, highlighting participation of youth from about 250 districts and noting that roughly 300,000 youths took part in the related competition, with over 400 selected for a week‑long immersion in border villages of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Ladakh. He emphasized that these villages, previously lacking basic amenities such as roads, electricity, water, schools and hospitals, are now being treated as the nation’s ‘first villages’ with new infrastructure, internet connectivity, and growing tourism. The PM urged participants to share their experiences, promote local culture and products, and encourage at least 100 peers each to visit and document these border areas, thereby fostering unity through participation.