Youth Key to Viksit Bharat Vision, One Crore Young Leaders to Enter Politics: Dr. Arvind Sharma

ABVP’s ‘Screen Time to Sports Time’ Campaign to bring positive change among youth:Cooperation Minister

Cooperation Minister inaugurates PU Olympics at Panjab University

Chandigarh, February 2026 – Haryana Cooperation, Jails, Elections, Heritage and Tourism Minister, Dr. Arvind Sharma, said that over the past 11 years, Prime Minister, Sh. Narendra Modi has redefined the meaning of politics in the last 11 years and has given the idea of bringing one crore youth into politics. This initiative aims to empower capable young people to play a decisive role in strengthening the nation and achieving the goal of a Viksit Bharat by 2047.

He said that the ‘Screen Time to Sports Time’ campaign, launched by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) from Panjab University, Chandigarh, under its nationwide ‘Screen Time to Activity Time’ campaign, will serve as a strong medium for bringing positive change among the youth of not only Chandigarh, but also Haryana and Punjab.

While inaugurating the PU Olympics organised by ABVP at Panjab University on Wednesday, Dr. Arvind Sharma interacted with students and said that the new direction and recognition sports have received in India is the result of the visionary leadership of Prime Minister, Sh.Narendra Modi. He said that sports are not merely a source of entertainment but an important means of nation-building. Initiatives such as the ‘Fit India Movement’, ‘Khelo India’, and the encouragement given to Olympic and Paralympic athletes under Prime Minister ’s leadership clearly show that the Central Government has placed sports at the core of its Viksit Bharat policy. The Prime Minister himself regularly interacts with sportspersons and boosts their morale, he added.

Praising ABVP’s ‘Screen Time to Sports Time’ campaign, Dr. Sharma said that ABVP’s decades-long efforts, hard work, and commitment to safeguarding the dreams of crores of youth under the spirit of “Sashakt Yuva, Sashakt Rashtriya” are well known. He said ABVP is not just an organisation, but a youth movement.

The Minister said that the week-long PU Olympics are not just a celebration of sports, but a celebration of the character, discipline, and leadership qualities of young India. Today, the mobile phone is in our pocket, but the playground is slowly disappearing from our lives. When the mobile becomes our master, the danger begins. While gadgets make life easier, they also pose a serious challenge. The objective of the PU Olympics is to inspire youth to move from screen time to sports time, which is one of the most meaningful and forward-looking messages of the present time.

Citing the example of Haryana, he said that under the leadership of Chief Minister, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini, Haryana is emerging as a state of athletes. Today, Haryana is known not only in the country but across the world as a sports powerhouse. Since 2014, the BJP government has awarded Rs. 683 crore in cash prizes to 16,418 players, while 231 sportspersons have been given government jobs according to their educational qualifications.

He said that under the leadership of Chief Minister, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini, the Haryana Government policy is to provide respect, security, and a bright future to sportspersons.

 National Co-Organizing Secretary, ABVP, Sh. Devdutt Joshi, Dean of Student Welfare, Dr. Amit Chauhan, National Secretary ABVP, Sh. Aditya Takiyar, ABVP Punjab State President, Dr. Prashant Gautam, Regional Organizing Secretary, Sh. Gaurav Attri, State Secretary, Jaskaran Bhullar, State Organizing Secretary, Sh. Shamsher Singh Chauhan, Panjab University Students’ Union President, Sh. Gaurav Veer Sohal, Khelo India Convener Arpita Malik, and other dignitaries were present in the event.