04-06-2025
Youth can change things because of new ideas and opportunities: DGR
Mangaluru: Today's youth can change things because of their new ideas, thoughts, and new ways of doing things, said district minister Dinesh Gundu Rao. Rao was addressing 750 youths from nearly 10 countries, who are part of the three-day 'Global Youth Summit 2025', an international conference that started on Wednesday.
The first-of-its-kind conference is hosted by the State NSS Cell, department of youth empowerment and sports, govt of Karnataka, in collaboration with Yenepoya (Deemed to be University).
He said that the conference is focusing on the issues concerning the youth, the challenges that the youth are facing today, and the issues that they are confronting. "There are so many things happening around the world. Whether it is in Africa, Asia, Europe, or America, every country has controversial issues as well as many interesting developments.
For the youth today, there are definitely a lot of opportunities for them to learn and grow," he noted.
The minister asked youths to think and take action on how they can cut across barriers to bring in solidarity. "All must come together, and it is about solidarity. It is how we can bring people together, how we can think in a way that benefits not only ourselves but also the world," he said.
He asked the youth to focus on and raise discussions about environmental civil rights, transgender rights, women's empowerment, human rights, and women's rights.
"In many countries, political movements and democracies are in danger, with authoritarian regimes taking over," he said.
During his address, the minister also highlighted growing health concerns among youth, linking lifestyle choices in a digitised world to rising instances of diabetes, blood pressure, mental stress, and other ailments. "Health issues among youngsters are concerning. It is due to lifestyle, and we see the onset of so many diseases. Concentration levels are going down, and there are poor communication skills. Youth are suffering from mental stress.
All need to take care of their mental and physical health," he told the participants.
