BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj urges youth to see themselves as ‘shilpkars’ of Viksit Bharat

Member of Parliament for New Delhi Bansuri Swaraj urged students to see themselves not merely as beneficiaries but as shilpkars (sculptors) of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047, exhorting them to focus on skill development, financial literacy and active participation in democracy.

Speaking at the inauguration of the 2026–27 activities of the Rostrum Speakers’ Club of Alva’s Education Foundation in Moodbidri on February 6, Ms. Swaraj said India’s youth constitute a ‘time-bound demographic dividend’ that must be productively harnessed over the next 25 years.

She stepped away from the podium to speak directly to students.

“The spirit of ‘Vande Mataram’ that had inspired the freedom struggle should now guide the journey towards a developed India. The Viksit Bharat 2047 vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not merely a dream, but a pledge,” she said adding that the Gen Z would both shape and inherit that future.

She said the country had moved from being described among the ‘fragile five’ economies to becoming one of the world’s largest economies. While numbers alone did not define progress, she said the country’s transformation was rooted in sustained policy efforts and long-term planning.

Entrepreneurship and innovation

Alva’s Pharmacy Administrator Greeshma Vivek Alva, Alva’s Foundation Managing Trustee Vivek Alva, and Alva’s Rostrum Speakers’ Club President Deepa Kotari felicitate Member of Parliament for New Delhi Bansuri Swaraj at the inauguration of Alva’s Rostrum Club activities for 2026-27 in Moodbidri on February 6, 2026.
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SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Emphasising that a degree alone would not suffice in a competitive economy, Ms. Swaraj urged students to invest in continuous skill development as entrepreneurship and innovation were critical drivers of growth.

She encouraged early financial planning, advising students to move from digital literacy to financial literacy. “Start small, but start now. Futures are not built by living paycheck to paycheck,” she said.