New Delhi, October 31: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday launched the 'MY Bharat' platform for youths and laid an e-foundation stone of an Amrit Mahotsav Smarak and Amrit Vatika at an event marking the culmination of the 'Meri Maati Mera Desh' campaign and with it, the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

The prime minister offered soil into the Amrit Kalash during the event held at the Kartavya Path here and applied a 'tilak' on his forehead with the 'mitti'. The Amrit Kalash contains soil brought from different parts of the country. Union ministers Amit Shah, G Kishan Reddy, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Anurag Thakur, Meenakashi Lekhi and Nisith Pramanik were also present at the event. Later, Modi and other leaders, along with the spectators, also took the 'Panch Pran' pledge. We Have To Make India a Developed Country in Next 25 Years, Says PM Narendra Modi While Addressing National Unity Day Event in Gujarat (Watch Video).

In his address, the prime minister said the occasion marks the closure of a "maha utsav" (grand festival) and also brings the resolve of a new beginning. Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat) is an autonomous body which will help set the focus of the government on youth-led development and make the youths "active drivers" of development, the Union culture ministry said earlier.

The prime minister said 'My Bharat' will play a "big role" in nation-building in the 21st century. After the laying of the e-foundation stone of the Amrit Mahotsav Smarak and Amrit Vatika, a small video showcasing a digital version of the proposed memorial and garden was played.

According to the video, the garden memorial will be dedicated to the scarifies made by the freedom fighters and bravehearts of the nation. This Amrit Vatika will be a "grand memorial" and the coming generations will be reminded of this historic occasion through the Amrit Mahotsav Smarak, the prime minister said. Officials earlier said the 'Amrit Vatika' would span about 12,000 square metres and be completed in four to six months.

At the event, Modi also presented the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav Awards to the top-performing states and Union territories, as well as ministries and departments. The three states that won the awards are Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat and Haryana and Rajasthan as joint thirds. Among the ministries, the awards went to the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Defence and third position holders Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Education.

The event also marks the culmination of the two-year-long 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' campaign which began on March 12, 2021, to celebrate 75 years of India's Independence. 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' has since witnessed more than two lakh programmes organised throughout the country with enthusiastic public participation, the ministry earlier said. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Birth Anniversary 2023: PM Narendra Modi Pays Tributes to India’s First Home Minister, Says ‘His Commitment to National Integration Continues To Guide Us’.

On October 30, all the states represented by their respective blocks and urban local bodies put the soil from their 'kalash' into one giant 'Amrit Kalash', reflecting the spirit of 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat'. From Srinagar to Tirunelveli and from Sikkim to Surat, colours and soils of India merged on the Kartavya Path on Monday as people hailing from various parts of the country, dressed in traditional fineries, converged at the majestic boulevard to celebrate the 'Meri Maati Mera Desh' campaign.

Amrit Kalash Yatris from thousands of blocks of over 700 districts were present among the spectators during the event hosted at the Vijay Chowk and Kartavya Path.