Meghalaya CM inaugurates Youth Mela in Shillong

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaAugust 25, 2025

Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma on Monday inaugurated the Youth Mela organized by Chief Minister’s Youth Centre at All Saints’ Hall, Shillong. Also present was Minister, Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Dr Ampareen Lyngdoh. 

Delivering the inaugural speech, Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma, said that the government has always believed that development cannot be measured by a number or only by large infrastructural projects, “Development is an aspect that has to be seen from multiple fronts and when GDP and GSPD is important but it is incomplete if we are not able to connect out farmers, rural entrepreneurs, women and youth and connect the different aspects of social issues like health, education, rural tourism, agriculture etc.”

He also added that the government has entrepreneurial programs at different levels to ensure that entrepreneurship is not just limited to a large enterprise or a large business that we forget the small or nano entrepreneurs. “This program and each and every one of you is a part of the growth story of Meghalaya and your business how small it may be does make a difference,” he said. 

Concluding his speech he hoped that through the 64 Chief Minister’s Youth Centres across the state the nano entrepreneurs nurtured and developed by these CMYCs will grow to higher levels in their entrepreneurial journey. 

The CMYCs are open learning spaces across rural Meghalaya to provide the youth with a platform to develop innovation, problem-solving and design skills. These are free-to-access open learning spaces, within the rural communities equipped with tools, activities and resources to have meaningful engagement with the communities. The centers are envisioned to be a space for peer-led, self-learning to explore and learn beyond a school-prescribed curriculum and become a space where innovation, aspiration, passion and problem-solving are nurtured for the youth. The goal of these centers is to serve as a focal point for community involvement, utilizing developmental tools like art, sports, and libraries.

The Government of Meghalaya, with support from Sauramandala Foundation and plans to set up 64 such open learning spaces in rural locations across Meghalaya, under the banner of Chief Minister’s Youth Centers.

Sauramandala Foundation is an NGO founded in 2018 aimed at addressing the challenges faced by remote and inaccessible communities by accelerating social and economic change through collaborative action providing specific solutions to the needs of the people by collaborations, co-designing solutions and building ecosystems.

The four days Youth Mela from 25th -28th Aug 2025 will feature panel discussions, live workshops, project exhibitions, library corner and games and activities space for young children. 

The Chief Minister also launched the CMYC++ during the occasion and also distributed the Nano Grant Awards to the Top 50 nano entrepreneurs.