Amritsar: Vice President of India, Dr. M. Hamid Ansari inaugurated the 14th National Youth Festival here at Amritsar today.

The inaugural event has been taken place at the Hockey Stadium, Gurunanak Dev University which was presided over by Mr. S. Prakash Singh Badal, Chief Minister of Punjab.

This is for the first time that the festival is being hosted by Punjab.

Mr. M.S. Gill, the Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports and Mr. S. Gulzar, Sports Minister, Punjab attended the function as Guests of Honour.

Inaugurating the festival, Dr. Ansari said, "We, in India live in a plural society and cherish our cultural heritage and its diversity. This diversity presents itself in terms of regions, languages, religions, food habits and in a multitude of other ways. Yet each of these is Indian and is equally authentic."

Dr. Ansari also presented the National Youth Award, 2007-08 instituted by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

The award is given to the individual and voluntary organizations in recognition to their services to the community.

'National Youth Day' is observed on January 12 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanand.

The youth festival brings together about 4000 young persons from all parts of our country and also from abroad. The festival gives them an invaluable opportunity for a few days to live, work and think together.

"India has around 70 percent of population of youth. The future of the country, its hopes, aspirations and achievements, rest with the youth and this demographic asset has to be harnessed for the good of the nation," Dr. Ansari added.

The United Nations (UN) observed 1985 as the International Youth Year and, in 1999 decided to observe August 12 every year as the International Youth Day.

"The theme of the 14th Festival is '21st Century belongs to India and her Youth'. We are facing multiple challenges in areas of education, employment, health and gender equality. We are confronting the scourge of terrorism. Each of these affects our development effort and the future of our youth; none can be addressed successfully without the active cooperation of young people," Dr. Ansari further said.

Dr. Ansari concluded his remarks with the motto of Swami Vivekanand.

"Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life. Think of it, dream of it, and live on that idea. This is the way to success."

All the winners of National Youth Awards were congratulated by Dr. Ansari.