New Delhi, July 25: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to interact with participants of the Viksit Vibrant Village Programme 2026 through video conferencing on Sunday, reaffirming the Centre’s commitment to empowering India’s border regions and encouraging greater youth participation in nation-building.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the virtual interaction will begin at 4:30 pm and will bring together more than 400 young participants from across the country who successfully completed the month-long programme. The session is expected to provide an opportunity for the Prime Minister to hear their experiences, discuss the programme’s outcomes, and highlight the importance of border villages in India’s development journey.
The Viksit Vibrant Village Programme is being implemented through MY Bharat and has been designed to transform the Prime Minister’s vision of treating border settlements as the country’s “first villages” into a people-centric development initiative. The programme seeks to strengthen community participation, promote inclusive growth, and create stronger links between youth and frontier regions.
The 2026 edition was conducted in two phases between June 4 and June 30, covering 74 Vibrant Border Villages across Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. Participants were selected through a nationwide online quiz competition that attracted more than three lakh registrations, with representatives chosen from every State and Union Territory.
During their stay in the border villages, participants lived with local families, enabling them to gain a deeper understanding of the social, economic, and cultural fabric of these remote regions. The immersive experience allowed young volunteers to directly engage with local communities while contributing to various developmental activities.
The programme featured a wide range of initiatives, including cleanliness campaigns, awareness drives on government welfare schemes, youth conventions, cultural exchange programmes, tree plantation activities, Mini Model Panchayat simulations, interactions with local artisans, and visits to strategically important institutions. These activities were designed to encourage civic responsibility, promote sustainable development, and strengthen the bond between urban and rural India.
The PMO stated that the initiative offered participants valuable first-hand exposure to the unique opportunities and challenges faced by India’s frontier communities. By encouraging direct engagement with residents, the programme helped create greater awareness of the strategic significance of border villages while fostering a spirit of national unity and shared responsibility.
Officials believe that such interactions also help young citizens appreciate the rich cultural heritage, local traditions, and developmental aspirations of people living in remote border areas. The initiative is intended to inspire future leadership, community service, and active participation in national development.
The Viksit Vibrant Village Programme forms an important part of the government’s broader strategy to accelerate development in border regions while ensuring that local communities remain active stakeholders in the country’s progress. By connecting youth with these strategically significant areas, the programme seeks to build stronger national integration, encourage inclusive growth, and reinforce the vision of a Viksit Bharat through grassroots participation.
The Prime Minister’s interaction on Sunday is expected to celebrate the achievements of the participants while highlighting the government’s continued focus on strengthening infrastructure, livelihoods, and opportunities in India’s border villages.