Story in Key Pointers (English):
The State Youth Festival 2025 will be held in Bilaspur from December 23 to 25, with the participation of around 3,100 youth from across Chhattisgarh.
The three-day festival is being organised by the Department of Sports and Youth Welfare at the State Sports Training Centre, Bahtarai.
Deputy Chief Minister and Sports & Youth Welfare Minister Arun Sao released the official poster of the State Youth Festival during a press conference in Raipur.
The festival will feature district-level winners competing at the state level in 14 different disciplines.
Winners of the State Youth Festival will earn the opportunity to represent Chhattisgarh at the National Youth Festival 2026.
The inaugural ceremony on December 23 will also include the launch event of the first Khelo India Tribal Games, to be hosted by Chhattisgarh.
The 14 competition categories include:
Group events (8): Folk Dance, Panthi Dance, Raut Nacha, Sua Dance, Karma Dance, Folk Song, Rock Band, and One-Act Play
Individual events (6): Debate, Story Writing, Painting, Poetry Writing, Innovation (Science Fair), and Traditional Attire
Prize money for group events:
First Prize: ₹20,000
Second Prize: ₹15,000
Third Prize: ₹10,000
Prize money for individual events:
First Prize: ₹5,000
Second Prize: ₹3,000
Third Prize: ₹2,000
Every participating youth will receive a ₹1,000 incentive amount.
Winners in five cultural categories—Folk Dance, Folk Song, Debate, Painting, and Poetry Writing—will qualify for the National Youth Festival 2026 in New Delhi.
The festival will also host cultural evenings and live performances, including:
December 23: Aarug Band (Anuj Sharma) performance and Mallakhamb display from Narayanpur; late-night poetry recital featuring Dr. Kumar Vishwas at Bilaspur Police Ground
December 24: Kafila Band and Swapnil Live Band performances
December 25: Performances by Aru Sahu and Dayra (Bastar) Band, followed by the award distribution ceremony
Senior officials including the Chairman of the State Youth Commission Vishva Vijay Singh Tomar, departmental secretary Yashwant Kumar, and director Tanuja Salam were present at the press conference.
