Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday launched ‘MY Bharat Budget Quest 2026’, a nationwide youth-focused initiative aimed at deepening young citizens’ understanding of the Union Budget and making budgetary provisions more accessible and citizen-centric.
The initiative seeks to connect the Union Budget 2026 with the everyday lives of citizens by engaging youth from colleges, educational institutions and coaching centres across the country through a structured and participatory process.
Speaking at the launch, Mandaviya said the competition will be conducted on the MY Bharat platform and will begin on February 3, 2026. The national-level online quiz on the Union Budget 2026 is open to youth registered on the MY Bharat portal, with February 17 as the deadline for participation.
Top performers from each State and Union Territory will advance to the second round, an essay-writing competition to be held from February 17 to March 3, 2026. Participants will be given eight topics related to the Union Budget, aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat, and will be invited to share their perspectives and ideas through essays.
Mandaviya noted that during the Budget Speech this year, the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman acknowledged innovative ideas shared by youth under the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue (VBYLD), some of which were incorporated into the Union Budget 2026-27. “With MY Bharat Budget Quest, we want to continue this spirit and empower young voices once again,” he said.
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports said that evaluation of essays will take place between March 3 and March 10, 2026, with State- and UT-wise merit lists to be announced on March 10. Winners from each State and Union Territory will get an opportunity to participate in a virtual interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the vision of a Viksit Bharat Budget.
