Union Minister for Information Broadcasting and Youth Affairs & Sports Anurag Singh Thakur launched the State Level Youth Festival organised by Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan in Raipur today.

Speaking on the occasion, he said that India's soft power in the world has to be further strengthened and it  could be done through sports, culture and cinema.

Shri Thakur said that Indian athletes have made the country proud with their performance in the Asian Games being held in China. He called upon the youth to choose any one area like environment, education, health, cleanliness, drug de-addiction and take a pledge that they will make every possible contribution to bring positive changes in that area for the next 25 years.  He said that with the contribution of youth, India can become a developed nation by the year 2047.

The  two-day youth festival is being organized in Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh, on the theme of five pledges of Amrit Kaal.