Anil Vohra
PUNE: The fourth Youth 20 (Y20) meeting was held in Pune, the ‘cultural capital’ of Maharashtra, on March 11.
“The city has been a beacon of knowledge and culture for generations and is the ideal location for the fourth Y20 consultation meeting,” said Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Anurag Thakur, at the meeting. He applauded the fact that the city attracts students and scholars from across the world.
Thakur was speaking at the fourth Y20 Consultation Meeting held at Symbiosis International University (SIU). The meeting was jointly organised by SIU and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
Leading education hub
In his inaugural speech Thakur said, “I am delighted to be in Pune. Its reputation as the cultural capital of Maharashtra and a leading education hub cannot be overstated.
With more than 10 universities and 100 institutes, the city has been a beacon of knowledge and culture for generations, attracting students and scholars from across the world. There could not be a better place to organize this Y20 event.”
Y20 is an official consultation forum for youth from G20 nations to have a dialogue with each other. The theme of the fourth Y20 meeting was “Peace building and reconciliation: Ushering in an era of no war – the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam and the future of work”.
Thakur empahsised on the role of youth in ushering in a new India. “Young people are equal stakeholders in the present. Their role is today, now and here. Look around, India is making headlines as it is the world’s fastest growing large economy. From being among fragile five economies in 2014, we are now among the top five economies of the world,” he said.
Among those present at the inaugural ceremony were Dr. Sundeep Waslekar, President, Strategic Foresight Group; Prof. (Dr.) S. B. Mujumdar, Founder & President, Symbiosis; Chancellor, SIU, Dr. Vidya Yeravdekar; Pro Chancellor, SIU, Pankaj Singh; Anmol Sovit, Director, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and Chair, Y20 India and Prof Rajani Gupte, Vice Chancellor, SIU. The meeting also saw participation from 44 countries, which were represented by 97 students.
A pat for Symbiosis
The minister lauded Symbiosis as provider of “quality education” to thousands of Indian and international students and emphasised on its role as the facilitator of change. He also hailed the role of India role in promoting peace and reconciliation on the global stage.
“We have been a strong advocate for disarmament, non-proliferation and have contributed to United Nations’ peacekeeping efforts,” Thakur said.
