Shillong, October 16: From remote villages to the state capital, Meghalaya’s Chief Minister’s Youth Engagement Programme (CMYEP) is seeking to widen opportunities for young people, with around 14,000 participants taking part in its second edition across all 56 blocks.
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, addressing the programme’s valedictory function at Lariti Auditorium in Shillong on Friday, said the state’s young population could become a demographic dividend only through sustained investment in human capital.
“A young population becomes a demographic dividend only through investment,” Sangma said, highlighting the government’s focus on creating opportunities in sports, music, entrepreneurship, arts, culture and the creative economy.
The Chief Minister also promised to expand the programme further, with a stronger focus on grassroots participation.
The initiative, he said, was designed not merely to bring young people together but also to expose them to opportunities beyond their immediate surroundings and encourage them to think bigger.
Tracing the programme’s evolution, Sangma said it began in 2013 as the Youth Exchange Programme, focusing on travel, cultural exchange, skill development and networking.
It was relaunched in 2025 as the Chief Minister’s Youth Engagement Programme, with a larger budget and an expanded reach, transforming what had been a selective exchange initiative into a broader youth engagement programme.
Previously concentrated in district headquarters, the initiative now covers all 56 blocks, providing young people from remote villages an opportunity to participate alongside those from urban centres.
Sangma said the need for wider youth engagement became evident from the experience of the last two editions of the Meghalaya Games. The government recognised the importance of connecting young people not only within the state but also with peers across India and internationally.
Praising the Sports and Youth Affairs Department and its officials for implementing the programme, he said turning an idea into a successful initiative required commitment, vision and determination.
The programme’s reach extends beyond participation at the grassroots.
According to official figures, around 14,000 young people participated across 56 blocks. At the district level, 2,400 participants were engaged, with 200 selected from each of the state’s 12 districts.
Of these, 1,125 progressed to the state-level stage. Another 480 young people received national exposure, while 48 gained international exposure.
The programme features 13 events, comprising eight competitive and five non-competitive activities, allowing young people with different interests and abilities to participate.
The figures underline the programme’s effort to combine competition with wider participation and exposure.
CM asks youth to engage with communities
Beyond competitions and exposure trips, Sangma urged young people to take a more active role in addressing community needs.
He called on participants to engage with farmers, self-help groups, children and elderly people, and volunteer at anganwadi centres, hospitals and old-age homes.
The Chief Minister also encouraged young people to believe in themselves, support one another and remain open to opportunities across the country and the world.
“These programmes that we have are to ensure that you push yourselves,” he said, urging participants to work together to take Meghalaya and the country forward.
Sangma assured participants that the CMYEP would be expanded further, with greater investment and a stronger grassroots presence, as the government seeks to make youth engagement a broader part of Meghalaya’s development strategy.
