Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday participated in the ‘Mukhyamantri Yuva Vidyarthi Manthan’ programme, organised on the theme ‘Mere Sapno Ka Uttarakhand’ at the auditorium located at the Chauras campus of Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University.During the programme, the Chief Minister held a direct interaction with students from across the state and sought to understand their views, suggestions, aspirations and vision for a developed Uttarakhand. He also addressed their queries and guided them on various issues, according to a press release.CM Dhami said the energy, ideas and commitment of students towards building a developed Uttarakhand were encouraging. He said empowering the younger generation to become self-reliant, aware and responsible citizens was among the state government’s priorities.He said the ideas and suggestions of young people could play an important role in determining the direction of Uttarakhand’s development. “The students of today will lead Uttarakhand and India tomorrow,” he said.The Chief Minister said the ‘Mere Sapno Ka Uttarakhand’ campaign had received an overwhelming response from students across the state, with 2,67,744 students submitting essays and their ideas under the campaign.He said the ideas expressed by the students reflected their vision, sensitivity and commitment towards the development, prosperity and bright future of Uttarakhand. Appreciating their essays, Dhami said all the students had expressed their thoughts so well that it was difficult to decide who had written well and who had written exceptionally well, the press release said.During the interaction, Seema Semwal, a Class 11 student from Rudraprayag, spoke about her essay on migration. She told the Chief Minister that she had written the essay in two to three days and chose migration as the topic because she had experienced the issue herself.Dhami said there were primarily two types of migration in Uttarakhand, permanent and temporary. He said moving out of one’s home for education and employment was not always negative, as studying, learning and gaining experience elsewhere provided young people with better exposure.However, he acknowledged the difficulties faced by women in the hill areas. Despite challenging circumstances, he said, mothers and sisters in the hills continued to manage their families and communities while working themselves and inspiring others, the release said.Shreya Semwal, a student from Devprayag, shared her views on the theme ‘Pahad Rahein, Apne Rahein, Mere Sapne Rahein’, highlighting the need to expand employment and opportunities in the hills while remaining connected to one’s roots.Priya, a student of Pauri’s Government Engineering College, also shared her vision for a developed Uttarakhand. The Chief Minister said a developed India could only be built when every village, district and state became part of the mainstream of development.Student Tamanna highlighted migration and low income from agriculture, saying, “My mountains, my employment; employment will be created even on the rocky terrain.” Appreciating her thought, Dhami said it reflected a positive mindset.He said circumstances could be challenging, but the resolve to achieve something better in life should remain strong. He urged the youth of Uttarakhand to move forward with the aim of turning challenges into opportunities.Student Srishti raised questions about people’s trust in government schools and hospitals. Responding to her, the Chief Minister said personalities such as APJ Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had risen from ordinary families to occupy the highest positions in the country.He said young people had an important role to play in improving systems. The present generation, he said, understood what was good and better, and students should remain aware of development works and various systems in their districts and the state and contribute towards bringing about positive change, the release said.Anushka, a student from Rudraprayag, shared her views on preventing migration. Dhami said the geographical conditions of Uttarakhand were challenging, but the government was working to provide electricity, water and other basic facilities in villages across the state.He said much more remained to be done, and the government was continuously working in this direction. The Chief Minister said more than 500 smart classes were currently operational in the state and reverse migration was also taking place.As per the release, the Chief Minister urged the youth not to remain merely job seekers but to aim at becoming job creators.Ishika Negi and Gaurav Bisht shared suggestions related to tourism, environmental conservation and the Char Dham pilgrimage. Students also expressed their views on protecting Uttarakhand’s natural resources while linking tourism with employment generation and the local economy.Student Mukesh Kushwaha suggested extending facilities such as helicopter ambulances to small villages to improve healthcare access and providing skill-development training at the school level.Calling the suggestion important, Dhami said the government’s endeavour was to provide young people with the necessary facilities and opportunities to make the best use of their talent and capabilities. He said continuous efforts were being made to make youth self-reliant through skill development and employment-oriented education.The Chief Minister said all the ideas and suggestions put forward by the students should be taken seriously. He said every individual had an important role in building a developed India and a developed Uttarakhand.He also urged the youth to stay away from drugs and channelise their energy in a positive direction while ensuring their active participation in nation-building.Dhami said the day was special for him as he had the opportunity to interact directly with students. Their views, he said, reflected their vision, knowledge, sensitivity and thoughts about the future, the release said.He said all the students demonstrated a strong desire to move forward and achieve something better. This energy, he said, was the greatest strength in building a developed Uttarakhand.The Chief Minister said the youth were the future of the country and that the Uttarakhand and India of tomorrow would be shaped by their dreams, resolve and hard work.He said it was important to understand what India should look like in 2047, what contribution the youth should make, what role they should play and how systems should function. The participation and vision of young people on these issues, he said, were extremely important.Dhami said every young person had a significant role in the development journey and urged them to turn their dreams into goals and continue moving forward with determination.The Chief Minister said young people from Uttarakhand were performing well in various fields. He said initiatives such as the Mukhyamantri Yuva Yojana were being undertaken to promote the talent of youth in technology and innovation, the release said.