Union Minister for Education, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, interacted with 43 young authors selected under the PM-YUVA 3.0 (Prime Minister’s Young Authors Mentorship Scheme) today at Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya, New Delhi.

During the interactive session, the selected authors shared brief overviews of the subjects of their forthcoming manuscripts being developed under the six-month mentorship programme.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Pradhan congratulated the young writers on their selection and encouraged them to make the most of the mentorship period to produce meaningful books that would inspire India’s youth to read, write, and engage deeply with knowledge.

He emphasised the importance of access to research material and directed that both physical and digital resources should be facilitated through the National Book Trust (NBT). He also stated that the authors should be provided access to resources under the ‘One Nation, One Subscription’ (ONOS) initiative. To strengthen their academic and research support, he suggested that the selected authors be affiliated with central universities in their respective regions to develop their manuscripts.

Expressing his happiness at interacting with the young authors, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan said that he was delighted to engage with the budding writers selected under PM-YUVA 3.0 and noted that the diversity in the room reflected the diversity of India. He said that the young authors are writing books on the themes of the Contribution of the Indian Diaspora in Nation-building, the Indian Knowledge System, and Makers of Modern India. He added that the interaction included free-wheeling discussions on culture, technology, the pursuit of knowledge, and the national vision, and said that the energy, confidence, and aspirations of the young authors further strengthened his belief in the vision of a Viksit Bharat.

The 43 selected authors under the PM-YUVA 3.0 scheme are participating in a national camp being organised during the New Delhi World Book Fair 2026 (10–18 January) at Bharat Mandapam. The Fair is being organised by the Ministry of Education with the National Book Trust and was inaugurated on 10 January 2026 by the Union Education Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan.

The PM-YUVA 3.0 scheme aims to nurture young writers and promote a culture of reading, writing,and knowledge creation while showcasing India’s intellectual and cultural diversity.

The event was attended by Shri Vineet Joshi, Secretary, Higher Education; Shri Yuvraj Malik, Director, NBT-India; Dr Priyanka Mishra, CEO, Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya; Shri Kumar Vikram, Chief Editor and Joint Director, NBT-India; and Shri Ravi K. Mishra, Joint Director, Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya.

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