New Delhi, India: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the transformation of villages, particularly those along India's borders, is central to the country's journey towards becoming a developed nation and urged the nation's youth to connect with grassroots realities to help realise the vision of Viksit Bharat.

Interacting via video conferencing with participants of the Viksit Vibrant Village Programme 2026, the Prime Minister said the youth play a vital role in nation-building by understanding local issues, culture and aspirations.

"Developed villages are the cornerstone of a developed India. The journey toward building a developed India is ongoing, and all the young people play a vital role in it. When the youth of the country connect with the grassroots, they broaden the vision of a developed India," he said.

Emphasising the importance of border villages, PM Modi said the experience would strengthen the resolve of young people to contribute to the nation after witnessing the resilience and patriotism of residents living in challenging conditions.

"It strengthens the resolve within young minds to live for the nation and contribute to its progress. During this campaign, you must have realised how difficult life is in border villages; yet, despite every hardship, the residents live and breathe patriotism every moment. Until a few years ago, these border villages were labelled as merely the 'last villages' and left to fend for themselves. They lacked basic amenities like roads, electricity, water, schools, and hospitals. The patriotism of the people in the border villages never wavered--not even in the slightest," he said.

According to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the Viksit Vibrant Village Programme, implemented through MY Bharat, has been conceptualised to realise the Prime Minister's vision of treating India's border villages as the first villages of the nation and making them active partners in the journey towards Viksit Bharat.

The Viksit Vibrant Village Programme 2026 was organised in two phases from June 4 to June 30, covering 74 vibrant villages across Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Over 400 youth participants, representing every State and Union Territory, were selected through a nationwide online quiz competition that witnessed participation from more than three lakh youth, the statement added.

As part of the programme, participants lived with local communities and undertook activities such as Swachhta drives, awareness campaigns on Government schemes, Yuva Sammelans, cultural exchange programmes, tree plantation drives, Mini Model Panchayat simulations, interactions with local artisans and visits to institutions of strategic importance.