The Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha on Friday said that the youth hold boundless power to steer society and nation toward the future. He emphasised on putting a dedicated focus on shaping balanced minds and bold innovators for sustainable development.
“Empowered youth engineers the future and I believe intellectual depth, creative strength and innovative youth leadership is essential for national advancement,” the Lieutenant Governor said. The Lieutenant Governor was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of ‘Goonj 2026’, a unique Youth Festival, hosted by University of Jammu.
The two-day event will offer distinctive platform to youth from diverse disciplines to create one future. The festival will educate the mind, energize the body and ignite the innovation. The Lieutenant Governor said when young people kindle the flame of courage within themselves and step forward with unshakeable belief, then new pathways open up for society and the nation.
He exhorted the students to embrace innovation, pursue fresh research, experiment boldly, unlock nation-building doors. “Honor your traditions, respect your past and connect with your roots. This will deepen the profound sense of identity, confidence, and self-awareness that no classroom can ever fully teach,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
The Lieutenant Governor observed that the purpose of education is not merely the acquisition of knowledge but creation of enlightened citizens who are sensitive towards their duties. “True education prepares youth to forge entirely new answers and solutions that the world has not yet imagined.
Students enter campuses not merely for degrees, but to nurture culture, explore new ideas, choose bold paths, and courageously drive societal progress,” the Lieutenant Governor said. The Lieutenant Governor said that the pace at which the world is changing is almost beyond comprehension and technological explosion has quietly transformed both educational institutions and industries alike.
He directed the faculty members to make their higher education campuses the manufacturing hubs of new ideas. “The effort must go beyond curriculum. Let there be genuine dialogue across disciplines. Let every lecture in every classroom become a doorway to new possibilities,” he said.
On the occasion, the Lieutenant Governor also launched the Podcast "JU Vaachan", an initiative of Department of Journalism and Media Studies, Jammu University. Prof. Umesh Rai, Vice Chancellor, University of Jammu, Shri Ramesh Kumar, Divisional Commissioner Jammu; Prof. Neelu Rohmetra, Dean Research studies; Prof. Prakash Anthal, Dean Students Welfare; Heads of Departments, faculty members, senior officials and students in large number were present.
Padma Shri Dr Jitendra Udhampuri; Padma Shri Dr SP Varma; Padma Shri Romalo Ram; Shri Ashok Bhan, former DGP, and prominent citizens from different walks of life also attended the inaugural ceremony.