Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday interacted with participants of the Seva Yatra and urged them to carry the spirit of public service, self-reliance and national welfare into their work. The interaction took place through video conference as young participants travelled between Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and Vadnagar in Gujarat under the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan.
The Seva Yatra began on September 17 and is part of a month-long Seva Sankalp Abhiyan marking 25 years of Modi’s public life. The programme is focused on youth participation, community engagement and service activities at the grassroots. The journey is scheduled to continue until October 7.
During the interaction, Modi said public service should remain at the centre of efforts aimed at national development. He called for a self-reliant India and encouraged the participants to face challenges with determination and a continued commitment to service.
The Prime Minister also asked the Seva Yatris to use the journey as an opportunity to understand India more closely. Travelling through towns, districts, talukas and villages, the participants have been meeting local communities and learning about their traditions, customs and everyday experiences.
Modi said such journeys allow young people to see the diversity of the country beyond what they may encounter in their own communities. He linked this exposure to the broader goal of nation-building and the vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047.
The Seva Yatra is more than a motorcycle journey. Participants have been taking part in cleanliness drives and visiting schools, hospitals, nursing homes and other community locations. They have also interacted with residents and beneficiaries at different stops along the route.
Ten groups are undertaking the Vadnagar-Varanasi journey, with young participants travelling across multiple states and districts. The activities are designed to connect youth with communities and encourage them to understand local needs through direct interaction.
Friday’s interaction also coincided with the birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya. Modi recalled Upadhyaya’s emphasis on continuous service and invoked the phrase “Charaiveti-Charaiveti-Charaiveti”, referring to the idea of continuing to move forward.
He also referred to seven principles associated with Upadhyaya’s approach to service — service, balance, patience, coordination, positivity, sensitivity and dialogue. He said these values could guide the participants as they continued their journey and community work.
The Prime Minister asked the Seva Yatris to record their experiences in diaries during the journey. The exercise, he said, would help them preserve what they had learnt from the people and places they encountered.
The Seva Sankalp Abhiyan was launched earlier this month as part of programmes marking Modi’s 25 years in public life. The campaign has included service activities, public outreach and youth-focused initiatives across different parts of the country.
The journey has also been presented as an effort to take community service beyond major cities. Cleanliness activities at public spaces, interactions with residents and visits to institutions such as schools and hospitals form part of the programme.
The emphasis on self-reliance comes alongside the government’s broader focus on strengthening domestic capabilities and encouraging public participation in development. Modi said challenges would continue to emerge, but called for them to be met with new energy and a service-oriented approach.
The Seva Yatra thus combines travel with public engagement, giving participating youth an opportunity to experience different parts of the country while taking part in community activities. The organisers have linked the initiative to the larger idea of youth contributing to nation-building and the long-term goal of a Viksit Bharat.
As the yatras continue towards October 7, the focus remains on connecting young people with communities, documenting their experiences and translating the idea of seva into practical work at the grassroots.
