One of the biggest youth-run non-profits in the world, India’s International Movement to Unite Nations (I.I.M.U.N.), celebrated its 15th anniversary in Kolkata and inaugurated the 13th edition of its Kolkata Conference. As the Chief Guest, former Union Minister and Lok Sabha member Shri Anurag Singh Thakur gave a keynote speech on the topic of the youth’s role in creating a Viksit Bharat. He talked about how Bengali youth need to take advantage of this moment in India’s history.

A youth-run non-profit organization called India’s International Movement to Unite Nations (I.I.M.U.N.) aims to develop responsible leaders with a global perspective and a strong sense of Indian identity. Since its founding in 2011, the organization has impacted 7.5 crore students and operates in 275 cities in India and 40 other countries, interacting with a network of more than 1,50,000 schools.

I.I.M.U.N. has hosted more than 34,000 eminent speakers over the course of fifteen years, representing the entire spectrum of Bharat’s intellectual and civic landscape. These speakers include heads of state, governors, chief ministers, union ministers, and leaders from business, culture, and public life.

500 students from 26 schools in Kolkata attended the three-day conference, which gave young people a forum to discuss pertinent local, national, and international issues. In keeping with the tradition that has defined I.I.M.U.N. for fifteen years, students will take part in organized committees, start their days with yoga, and analyze global issues through the lens of Indian civilization.

Speaking to the audience at IEM Public School in Salt Lake, Shri Thakur emphasized how crucial it is for India’s youth to actively participate in governance, be innovative, and take responsibility for the country’s future. His attendance at I.I.M.U.N. Kolkata, where a leader who has built his career on youth empowerment speaks to an organization that has spent fifteen years doing just that, reflects a natural alignment at a time when most politicians are focused on a voting population.

Air Chief Marshal (retd) Arup Raha and 20-year-old Senior Director of I.I.M.U.N. Amber Fatima, a Kashmiri girl whose vision of India impressed everyone in attendance, were among the other notable figures in attendance.

Priyanka Dutta