Leadership Fellowship to Groom Youth for Politics, Policy and Governance; Top 21 to Receive ₹1.21 Lakh Incentive
S Gopal Puri
Dharamshala
In a major initiative aimed at nurturing future leadership, former Union Minister and Hamirpur Lok Sabha MP Anurag Thakur on Thursday launched a first-of-its-kind leadership fellowship programme titled “Yuva ChangeMakers” in Dharamshala.
The programme seeks to prepare the youth of Himachal Pradesh—particularly Gen-Z—for leadership roles in politics, governance, public policy and social impact.
Speaking at the launch event, attended by senior journalists, representatives of leading institutions and Gen-Z influencers, Anurag Thakur described “Yuva ChangeMakers” as a long-term leadership development platform designed to empower young people with real-world problem-solving skills and active participation in nation-building.
“India has the world’s largest youth population, and the BJP along with the Modi government is firmly committed to empowering youth and preparing future leadership,” Thakur said. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly spoken about bringing one lakh youth into politics.
Inspired by that vision, ‘Yuva ChangeMakers’ aims to prepare responsible, policy-oriented and socially sensitive leadership from Himachal Pradesh.”
Platform to Strengthen Youth Participation
Thakur emphasized that “Yuva ChangeMakers” is not just a fellowship but a movement to increase youth participation in public life.
He said the programme would focus on nurturing politically aware, governance-efficient and community-driven leaders capable of contributing to regional as well as national development.
The initiative is structured around four core objectives:
- Youth Engagement
- Community Impact
- Leadership Development
- Talent Pipeline Creation
Selected participants will undertake micro-projects in their respective constituencies, addressing grassroots challenges while gaining hands-on exposure to governance, public policy and social leadership.
Five-Phase Selection Process
Explaining the roadmap of the programme, Thakur said registrations would begin on Himachal Foundation Day, January 25, with a target of 10,000 youth registrations through both online and offline modes. Outreach camps will be organised across colleges and districts to ensure wide participation.
The selection process will be conducted in five structured phases:
- Phase 1: Registration and outreach
- Phase 2: Screening through application evaluation, motivational essays/videos and online aptitude tests
- Phase 3: District-level interviews and youth bootcamps
- Phase 4: State-level five-day bootcamp involving 200–300 shortlisted candidates
- Phase 5: Final selection of 17–21 Change Makers
Finalists will present vision papers for their districts and for Himachal Pradesh, which will be broadcast live during a major concluding event.
₹1.21 Lakh Incentive for Top 21 Youth
Announcing a key incentive, Thakur said the top 21 ‘Yuva ChangeMakers’ will receive an incentive amount of ₹1,21,000 each.
The selected fellows will serve for one year, working directly with him on constituency-level development projects.
“Just as public representatives take an oath to serve the Constitution, these young Change Makers will also pledge honest leadership, service and dedication to society,” he added.
Vision for Developed Himachal
Launched on the auspicious occasion of Basant Panchami, the programme draws inspiration from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership style and emphasis on youth-driven transformation.
“A developed India is incomplete without a developed Himachal,” Thakur said. “Our ‘Yuva ChangeMakers’ will play a crucial role in shaping that future.”
