Khelo India Dialogues Planned at Kashi Vidyapith and Dhirendra Women's College

VARANASI: Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith and Dhirendra Women's PG College will host 'Khelo India Samvad—Khel Ki Baat, Pradhan Mantri Ke Saath' programmes on August 27 as part of the National Sports Day observance.

Both venues will screen Prime Minister Narendra Modi's virtual address, according to Vikas Singh, deputy director of Mera Yuva Bharat. He announced the programme at a press conference in the Press Information Bureau office. Local public representatives, young achievers and student participants are expected to join a youth dialogue after the broadcast.

Organisers will also encourage students to register on the MY Bharat portal and submit ideas. A useful event should explain what registration offers—volunteering, programmes, training or communication—rather than make the portal count an end in itself. Students deserve clear consent and privacy information before sharing data.

National Sports Day programmes often celebrate elite athletes, but the local conversation is strongest when it addresses ordinary access. Students need playable grounds, safe evening practice, affordable equipment, trained coaches and schedules that do not force sport to compete permanently with classes.

The choice of a women's college creates an opportunity to discuss barriers faced by young women: travel after dark, family concerns, lack of changing facilities and fewer competitive fixtures. Inviting athletes to describe how they navigated those obstacles would make the dialogue more useful than a sequence of speeches.

Kashi Vidyapith can bring another dimension through its large and diverse student population. Campus clubs, neighbourhood grounds and district associations often work separately. A dialogue can map where facilities exist and which sport lacks a pathway, then assign follow-up to a named institution.

Success should be measured after August 27. If a student volunteers, joins a coaching programme or gains access to a facility because of the event, the conversation has moved beyond ceremony. Publishing a short list of commitments and a contact point would make that outcome easier to track.

The two Varanasi programmes arrive as the city hosts a busy calendar of school and club competitions. Linking inspiration with infrastructure is the real challenge. A virtual address can start the discussion; consistent courts, coaches and opportunities are what keep a young person in sport.

Students attending on August 27 should leave with dates and names, not only motivation. Information about local trials, district associations, scholarships, volunteer work and the nearest usable facilities would turn the event into a practical noticeboard. That is the difference between a dialogue remembered for a day and one that changes a season.