162nd Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda

• 13 Jan 2025

For Prelims: National Youth Day, Swami Vivekananda, National Youth Policy 2014, Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Vivekananda Rock Memorial, Vedanta, Yoga, Neo-Vedanta, Upanishads, Gita, Buddha, Ramakrishna Mission, Parliament of Religions, Sustainable Development Goals, National Education Policy 2020. 

For Mains: Contributions of Swami Vivekananda. Role of youth in nation building 

Source: IE

Why in News?

On National Youth Day (162^nd birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda), Prime Minister participated in the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2025. 

• The National Youth Day is celebrated on 12th January to commemorate the great spiritual leader, philosopher and thinker Swami Vivekananda. 
• The National Youth Policy 2014 defines youth as the persons in the age group of 15-29 which constitute nearly 40% of India's total population. 

What is the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue? 

• About: It is a platform aimed at engaging youth in nation-building, aligning with the Prime Minister’s Independence Day call to involve 1 lakh youth in politics without political affiliations. 
• Participation: The event brings together 3,000 dynamic youth aged 15-29 years, selected through a merit-based, multi-stage process called the Viksit Bharat Challenge. 
• Thematic Focus: Young leaders will present ideas on ten thematic areas critical to India's development, including technology, sustainability, women empowerment, manufacturing, and agriculture. 

What are Key Facts Regarding Swami Vivekananda? 

• About: Swami Vivekananda, born as Narendra Nath Datta on 12th January 1863, was a monk and the chief disciple of Ramakrishna Paramhansa. 
  • In 1893, upon the request of Maharaja Ajit Singh of the Khetri State, he took the name ‘Vivekananda’, changing from ‘Sachidananda’ that he used before. 
• Enlightenment: In 1892, Swami Vivekananda was said to have swum to a rock (later named Vivekananda Rock Memorial) in the Indian Ocean from the shores of Kanyakumari for meditation.  
  • He spent three days and nights there, resulting in his enlightenment.  
• Contributions:  
  • Philosophical: He introduced the world to the Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga. 
    • He preached ‘neo-Vedanta’, an interpretation of Hinduism through a Western lens, and believed in combining spirituality with material progress. 
  • Spiritual: Vivekananda's message on human values draws from the Upanishads, the Gita, and the examples of Buddha and Jesus, emphasizing self-realization, compassion, and selfless service. 
    • He advocated the doctrine of service. Serving jiva (living beings) is considered worship of Shiva. 
    • He gave the four pathways of attaining moksha (liberation) from the worldly pleasure and attachment in his books- Raja-yoga, Karma-yoga, Jnana-yoga and Bhakti-yoga. 
  • Revivalism: He laid emphasis on education for the regeneration of our motherland. He advocated a man-making character-building education. 
• Core Values:  
  • Youth: He encouraged the youth to commit to their goals for success, stressing the importance of dedication in facing challenges.  
    • Swamiji urged them to develop both mental and physical strength, with 'muscles of iron' and 'nerves of steel’. 
  • Ethics: Ethics is a code of conduct that guides a person to be a good citizen, and purity, being our true divine Self or Atman, reflects our real nature. 
  • Religion: His view of religion sees it as a universal experience of transcendent reality, free from superstition, dogma, priestcraft, and intolerance.. 
  • Education: Vivekananda emphasized education that reveals students' innate knowledge and power, focusing on character-building and making them self-reliant to face life's challenges. 
  • Rationality: He fully supported the methods and results of modern science and did not reject reason in favor of faith. 
  • Nationalism: His nationalism is based on Humanism and Universalism, the two cardinal features of Indian spiritual culture.  
    • His nationalism is based on concern for the masses, freedom, equality, and Karma Yoga — a path to political and spiritual freedom through selfless service. 
• Associated Organisations: He founded the Ramakrishna Mission in 1897 to propagate the ideals of service, education, and spiritual upliftment. 
  • In 1899, he established the Belur Math, which became his permanent abode. 
• International Address: He addressed the Parliament of Religions held in Chicago in 1893, at which he represented Hinduism. 
  • In July, 1896, he addressed a conference of the London Hindu Association in London. 

Views Related to Vivekananda 

• No other religion preaches the dignity of humanity in such a lofty strain as Hinduism and no other religion on earth treads upon the poor and the low in such a fashion as Hinduism. —Swami Vivekananda. 
• A country where millions have nothing to eat and where few thousand holy men and brahmins suck the blood of the poor and do nothing at all for them, is not a country but a living hell. Is this religion or a dance of death? —Swami Vivekananda 
• Forget not that the lower classes, the ignorant, the poor, the illiterate, the cobbler, the sweeper are thy flesh and blood, thy brothers. —Swami Vivekananda. 
• So far as Bengal is concerned Vivekananda may be regarded as the spiritual father of the modern nationalist movement. —Subash Chandra Bose. 

National Youth Policy (NYP) 2014 

• About NYP 2014: It is a policy framework by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to empower the youth of India to achieve their full potential and participate actively in the development of the country. 
• About NYP 2024: The Government has reviewed and updated the NYP 2014, and has released a draft for the new NYP 2024.  
  • This draft outlines a ten-year vision for youth development in India, aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  
  • It focuses on five main areas: education, employment, youth leadership, health, and social justice, with a commitment to social inclusion. 
  • Key points include: 
    • A clear plan to achieve youth development goals by 2030. 
    • Alignment with the National Education Policy 2020 to improve career and life skills. 
    • Strengthening leadership and volunteering opportunities and using technology to empower youth. 
    • Enhancing healthcare, especially mental health and reproductive health, and promoting sports and fitness. 
    • Ensuring safety, justice, and support for marginalized youth.

Conclusion

The Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue and Swami Vivekananda’s teachings emphasize youth empowerment, ethical leadership, and holistic development. Aligning with national goals like NYP 2024, these initiatives aim to equip youth with education, self-reliance, and rationality to shape India’s sustainable future while honoring its spiritual and cultural heritage. 

Drishti Mains Question: 

“A strong, rational, and ethical youth is the cornerstone of a developed India.” Comment in light of Vivekananda’s teachings.