Mera Yuva Bharat (2023): Bridging The Youth Empowerment Gap – IMPRI Impact And Policy Research Institute

Policy Update
Debjani Chatterjee

Background

Before MY Bharat was launched, India already had several programmes for young people. But these programmes were managed by different departments and organisations. As a result, young people did not have one common platform to find opportunities related to volunteering, leadership, skill development and practical learning. At the same time, the government faced the challenge of connecting India’s large youth population with activities related to nation-building. This created a need for a more coordinated and technology-based platform for youth participation.

MY Bharat was launched on 31 October 2023 to address this gap. Its main aim was to involve young people more actively in the development process. It also aimed to move beyond the traditional approach of treating youth only as beneficiaries of government schemes. The platform provides opportunities for volunteering, leadership, experiential learning and community participation.

Over time, MY Bharat has expanded beyond registration and basic youth engagement. It is gradually developing into a wider digital ecosystem for young people. The proposed MY Bharat 2.0 focuses more on AI, digital credentials, career guidance, skill mapping and better access to opportunities. This shows a shift from simply connecting youth with programmes towards creating a more integrated platform for their development and participation.

Functioning

Institutional Design

MY Bharat is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS).

It works as a platform for youth development and youth led development. The Department of Youth Affairs provides institutional support.

Funding Structure

The Government of India funds this initiative through the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. Funds are allocated through the Department of Youth Affairs to MY Bharat. It runs as a free and non profit digital system, so that young people and organizations can use all its services without paying any money.

Key Stakeholders

MY Bharat works with different groups to involve young people. Youth can join the platform and take part in different activities. Government departments provide programs and opportunities. Schools and colleges help students participate. NGOs, companies, mentors, and other organisations provide learning opportunities, guidance, and support.

Technology Architecture

Candidates can search for opportunities online after creating their profile on this platform. This platform also provides digital certificates.MY Bharat uses a central digital platform for registration, activity management, youth participation, data collection, communication, and connecting young people with different opportunities. MY Bharat uses a central digital platform Monitoring System. A live dashboard tracks key numbers like new sign ups, volunteer hours, and finished projects. By looking at this data and listening to user feedback, officials can easily check how well the program is doing across districts, states, and the whole country.

Implementation Flow

Performance

1. Coverage

By 2026, more than 2.2 crore young people had signed up. More than 1.22 lakh youth have enrolled in nearly 24900+ Experiential Learning Program. It also linked over 1.2 lakh organizations like schools, NGOs, and government offices offering more than 1.52 lakh volunteering opportunities for cleanliness, blood donation, sports, disaster response, and community service. It also connects youth with internships, apprenticeships, industry exposure, leadership programmes, quizzes, and competitions (Press Information Bureau, 2026).

2. Financial Performance

The budget allocation was ₹200 crore in 2024–25, and the revised estimate was ₹74.76 crore. By January 2025 only ₹7.50 crore had been spent. The allocation was ₹82.48 crore in 2025–26 and increased to ₹655 crore in 2026–27.

3. Physical Progress

Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2026 witnessed participation of more than 50.42 lakh youth. This platform has connected 16,000+ youth clubs and 60,000+ partners.Its digital system records attendance, geo tagging, certificates, and impact, making physical participation easier to track.

4. State Comparison

There is a sharp contrast in participation across states. Uttar Pradesh shows the highest record of participation of 25.07 lakhs candidates but 6.17% of its youth population aged 15–24 (Press Information Bureau, 2026; Census of India, 2011). But Lakshadweep leads with 56.33%, followed by Andaman & Nicobar Islands (41.05%), Puducherry (40.39%), Jammu & Kashmir (37.62%), and Sikkim (35.49%) (Press Information Bureau, 2026; Census of India, 2011). This contrast shows that high total registration numbers do not always mean high reach among the youth in large states.

5. Trend Analysis

The trend is moving from basic registration towards active volunteering, experiential learning, leadership development, and career support. MY Bharat now includes AI powered resume building, mentoring, multilingual quizzes, digital badges, verified participation records, and the MY Bharat 2.0 upgrade with AI, open APIs, multilingual technologies, and digital credentials.

6. Government Indicators and Dashboard

The MY Bharat mobile application is available in 22 Indian languages and has recorded over 1 lakh downloads by July 2026. The platform also earned a Guinness World Record in June 2026 for the most users taking an online quiz in one week with 390,812 verified participants.

Impact

1. Youth Participation

MY Bharat has increased young people’s exposure to real work, leadership and career opportunities. Experiential learning gives practical experience outside the classroom, while volunteering and institutional engagement improves participation, teamwork and leadership skills. The platform also improves access to internships, mentors and government programmes. However, there is limited government evidence showing whether these activities have produced sustained employment, higher income or long term career improvement.

2. Skill and Learning Outcomes

Working with government departments, companies and social organisations can improve practical understanding, communication, teamwork and problem solving. The main impact is that youth get exposure to real work situations and responsibilities that are often missing from formal education.

3. Employment and Career Impact

The scheme has helped young people access internships, experiential learning and information about different career paths. This can make the transition from education to work easier by giving youth a clearer understanding of workplace expectations and available opportunities. However, its impact is mainly on career exposure and readiness, not direct job creation or income generation.

4. Social and Civic Impact

MY Bharat has encouraged young people to participate in activities that directly address community needs, such as cleanliness drives, disaster response and awareness campaigns. This gives youth a more active role in their communities and creates experience of working with public institutions. The scheme therefore contributes to greater civic involvement and a stronger sense of social responsibility.

5. Digital Inclusion

The platform has made it easier for young people to discover and join opportunities that were earlier scattered across different organisations and programmes. Digital registration, certificates and access to opportunities have reduced some of the information barriers faced by youth. However, the benefits are likely to be greater for young people who already have reliable internet access and digital skills.

6. Overall Policy Impact

The main impact is its ability to connect young people with real opportunities for learning, participation and engagement through one national platform. It has made youth development more practical and experience based. But the scheme still needs stronger evidence on whether these experiences lead to lasting improvements in skills, employment and economic independence.

Emerging Issues

1. Gap between Participation and Results

MY Bharat has a large number of registered youth, but registration alone does not show the real impact of the scheme. More information is needed on how many youth actually take part in activities and what they gain from them.

2. Difference across States and Districts

While states like Uttar Pradesh show high total registrations, youth-adjusted penetration shows that less than 7% of eligible youth in major states (UP, West Bengal, Bihar, and Maharashtra) are registered on the platform (Press Information Bureau, 2026; Census of India, 2011). This highlights a big regional gap in platform outreach that requires targeted local awareness drives.

MY Bharat Registration Penetration Rate across Selected Top 5 and Bottom 5 States and UTs

[Source: Author’s calculations based on Census of India (2011) and Press Information Bureau (2026)

Note: Youth population refers to the 15–24 age group. MY Bharat participation (%) = MY Bharat registrations ÷ youth population × 100.]

3. Quality of Experiential Learning

The number of experiential learning programmes is important, but the quality of these programmes matters more. Young people should get useful work experience, proper guidance and meaningful learning instead of only completing activities for certificates.

4. Cost of Participation

Some activities may require travel or other personal expenses. This can make participation difficult for young people from low-income families. Financial support may be needed to make such opportunities more accessible.

5. Digital Access

MY Bharat mainly works through a digital platform. Youth living in remote or poorly connected areas may face problems in finding and joining opportunities. More offline support and local outreach can help reduce this gap.

6. Link with Jobs and Skills

MY Bharat gives young people opportunities to learn and volunteer, but stronger links with skill programmes, internships, employers and jobs can make these activities more useful for their future careers.

7. Coordination between Programmes

Many youth programmes are run by different ministries, departments and organisations. Better coordination can help avoid duplication and make it easier for young people to find the right opportunities through one platform.

8. Budget and Resource Use

As the platform grows, it needs enough funding for technology, outreach and programme delivery. Regular monitoring of budget allocation and actual spending is important to ensure that resources are being used properly.

9. Lack of Long Term Data

There is still a need for better data on what happens after young people complete MY Bharat activities. Tracking changes in skills, employment, income and continued civic participation would help measure the real impact of the scheme.

Way Forward

1. Track Youth from Registration to Completion

MY Bharat should track what happens after a young person registers. The system should record whether the youth joined an activity, completed it and received a certificate. This will give a clearer picture of actual participation.

2. Focus on District Level Action

Districts with low participation should receive extra support. District Youth Offices, colleges, ITIs, youth clubs and CSCs can organise local campaigns to inform young people about available opportunities and help them apply.

3. Improve the Quality of Experiential Learning

Every experiential learning programme should have clear tasks, a fixed duration and learning goals. Host organisations should give feedback on the participant’s work. This will make the experience more useful for future study and jobs.

4. Connect MY Bharat with Jobs and Internships

MY Bharat should work more closely with employers, Skill India, apprenticeship programmes and internship schemes. Youth who complete useful activities should be able to easily find the next opportunity for training, internship or employment.

5. Reduce Cost Barriers

Travel and other personal costs can stop some young people from joining activities. Limited travel support can be provided for selected programmes, especially for youth from low-income families and remote areas.

6. Strengthen Offline Outreach

Not every young person has regular access to digital platforms. Regular camps in colleges, villages, ITIs and Panchayats can help youth register, understand opportunities and complete applications with local support.

7. Create a Public Performance Dashboard

MY Bharat should publish state and district-level data on registration, participation, completion, volunteering and gender participation. This will make it easier to compare performance and identify areas that need more attention.

8. Improve Coordination with Other Schemes

MY Bharat should clearly connect eligible youth with existing government programmes instead of running separate activities. Links with skill, internship, apprenticeship and employment schemes can create a smoother path for participants.

9. Measure Results Every Year

An annual survey should ask participants whether they gained new skills, improved their confidence, completed an internship or found work. The findings should be used to improve programmes and decide future funding.

References and Links

About the Contributor

Debjani Chatterjee is a policy researcher with a background in Finance and Political science. Her work focuses on leveraging data analytics to support evidence based policy research.

Acknowledgement

My sincere thanks to the Impact and Policy Research Institute (IMPRI) for the opportunity to prepare this policy update article. IMPRI’s dedication to connecting research with actionable policy practice provides an invaluable platform for learning.

Reviewed by Khushi and Amrutha Kolluru

Disclaimer

The opinions expressed in this article are strictly those of the author and do not reflect the official position or views of the organization.

Read more at IMPRI

National Space Day 2026: Chandrayaan-3 and India’s Emerging Space Power

Kalai-II Hydroelectric Project: Assessing the Adequacy of Environmental Impact Assessment