Rajendra Kumar Yadav: Championing Youth Engagement with U-Report India

Soumyadip Dewanji

18-Oct-2023

Rajendra Kumar Yadav, hailing from Bilaspur district in Chhattisgarh, has been a dedicated volunteer with NYKS for the past four years, actively contributing to UNICEF's COVID vaccination campaign since the onset of the pandemic. In recognition of his relentless efforts, he was honoured with a certificate and medal by Mr. Job Zachariah, Chief of UNICEF Chhattisgarh. Moreover, he led the Bilaspur district delegation in the National Youth Parliament Festival, an event organised by NYS, where he was felicitated by the Cabinet Secretary.

In a recent initiative, Rajendra collaborated with the NSS unit of SBT College in Bilaspur. Introducing himself as a U-Ambassador, he successfully persuaded NSS Program Officer Mukesh Kumar Soni by highlighting that this program was under the aegis of U-Report India, supported by UNICEF. He underlined the platform's positive impacts, emphasising that UNICEF's ties to the government would ensure that NSS policy-making aligned seamlessly, as feedback would be channelled to both UNICEF and the government.

This endeavour saw active participation from 82 NSS Volunteers, along with the NSS Program Officer and Mr. Mukesh Soni, who joined the event. On the 7th of October, 2023, at 8 PM, over 15 individuals signed up as U-Reporters, further expanding the reach of this invaluable platform. Rajendra shared referral links with the enthusiastic youth.

During his interaction, he discussed the wealth of resources available through the U-Report India chatbot, covering areas such as Mental Health, Climate Change, and English. He encouraged young people to engage in various campaigns, particularly those focused on environmental issues.

Rajendra Kumar Yadav also shed light on the youth engagement platform, revealing that more than 28 lakh Indian youth had already joined U-Report India. He explained the platform's vision to create a vast knowledge-sharing pool through a youth-centric approach, underlining the potential for positive change and collective impact.

Rajendra Ji's unwavering dedication to empowering the youth and expanding the U-Report India community stands as a testament to the spirit of grassroots advocacy. His efforts continue to inspire and make a significant difference in his community and beyond.