President Pranab Mukherjee Friday said tribal youths should become "ambassadors of peace and development" and become "active participants" in the development agenda of the nation.
Addressing a group of young tribals at the 6th Tribal Youth Exchange Programme (TYEP) at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here, the president congratulated Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) and the home ministry on designing the exchange programme.
"It is important to make the tribal groups active participants in the development agenda of the nation... It will help transform these tribal youth from the states of Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Bihar and Jharkhand into ambassadors for propagating the message of peace, harmony and territorial integrity of our nation," he said.
The youth should are the "torchbearers of tomorrow's young and resurgent India" and should return to their states as "ambassadors of peace and development and share the memories of their visit with their colleagues, relatives, elders and others in their society."
India's demographic structure is changing, and by 2025, over two-third Indians are expected to be in the working age group, Mukherjee said.
"We must take advantage of this demographic dividend, but for that, our youth must be qualified and trained to participate in the national progress. They must be prepared through quality higher education and vocational training."
