India’s push to cultivate intellectual leadership among its youth gathered fresh momentum as book proposals by 43 young authors were selected under the Prime Minister’s Scheme for Mentoring Young Authors (PM-YUVA 3.0).
Chosen through a rigorous all-India contest, these authors, each under the age of 30, represent a new generation of thinkers tasked with narrating India’s story in their own words.
The Ministry of Education confirmed on Tuesday that the selected proposals span 22 official Indian languages and English, reinforcing the government’s emphasis on linguistic inclusion and cultural plurality.
Implemented by the National Book Trust (NBT), India, the PM-YUVA scheme aligns closely with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which prioritises creativity, critical thinking, and youth participation in nation-building.
Officials said the selection process drew entries in Assamese, Bangla, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Maithili, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu.
This wide linguistic sweep, policymakers noted, strengthens India’s literary ecosystem by ensuring representation from diverse regions and traditions.
Of the 43 authors selected, 19 are women, and 24 are men, reflecting a growing gender balance in India’s intellectual and literary spaces.
The government underscored that this diversity was not incidental but integral to the scheme’s design, which seeks to democratise access to mentorship and publishing opportunities.
Six Months of Mentorship and Financial Support
Under PM-YUVA 3.0, each selected author will undergo six months of structured mentoring under eminent scholars and domain experts.
During this period, authors will develop their proposals into full-length non-fiction books.
To ensure financial stability and sustained focus, the scheme provides a monthly scholarship of Rs 50,000, along with a lifetime royalty of 10 per cent on published works.
The thematic focus of this edition remains firmly rooted in India’s national narrative.
Selected manuscripts explore three core themes: the contribution of the Indian diaspora in nation-building, the Indian Knowledge System, and the makers of modern India from 1950 to 2025.
These works collectively aim to examine India’s civilisational depth, contemporary challenges, and future trajectory across disciplines such as history, culture, science, governance, philosophy and social reform.
To further integrate these young writers into India’s literary mainstream, the authorities will organise a National Camp during the New Delhi World Book Fair from January 10 to 18, 2026.
The programme will publish the first set of books under PM-YUVA 3.0 next year, positioning these authors as cultural ambassadors of modern India.
Through PM-YUVA 3.0, the government sends a clear message: India’s ideas economy will draw strength not only from policy and technology, but also from the words, insights and imagination of its youth.
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