'My Dream India' contest draws 55.35 lakh students across 39,000 Gujarat schools
Synopsis
More than 55 lakh students picked up pencils and crayons across 39,000 Gujarat schools in a single day — all to draw their vision of India's future. The BJP's 'My Dream India' contest, part of its Seva Sankalp Abhiyan marking PM Modi's 25 years in public life, is one of the largest school-level civic engagement drives the state has seen.
Key Takeaways
55.35 lakh students participated in the 'My Dream India' drawing competition across Gujarat on 19 September 2026 .
Around 11 lakh students took part in a concurrent speech competition on the same day.
The events were held in nearly 39,000 schools statewide under the BJP's 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan' .
The campaign marks the completion of 25 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's public life.
Drawing themes included a developed India, clean and green India, women's empowerment, modern technology, and patriotism.
As many as 55.35 lakh students participated in a drawing competition and around 11 lakh in a speech competition held across nearly 39,000 schools in Gujarat on Saturday, 19 September 2026, as part of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan'. Organised under the theme 'My Dream India', the competitions invited students to articulate and illustrate their vision for the country's future.
What the Competitions Covered
The drawing competition spanned a wide range of nation-building themes — including a developed India, clean and green India, self-reliance, women's empowerment, modern technology, innovation, youth power, and patriotism. According to the BJP, the 55.35 lakh participating students expressed these themes through imagination and creative art.
In the speech competition, around 11 lakh students spoke about India's development trajectory, the role of young people in nation-building, and their personal visions for the country in the years ahead. The activities were conducted in schools across the state under the party's ongoing campaign.
The 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan' Backdrop
The competitions were organised to mark the completion of 25 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's public life, according to BJP leaders. The 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan' has been the BJP's umbrella campaign in Gujarat for a series of such activities involving students and other sections of society. The party framed the competitions as an opportunity for young citizens to connect their personal aspirations with national development goals.
'Such activities under the campaign are being organised as an effort to connect students and the younger generation with the broader goal of the country's development,' BJP leaders said in a statement.
Scale and Significance
The sheer scale — over 66 lakh students collectively participating across both competitions in a single day — makes this one of the largest school-level civic engagement exercises in Gujarat's recent history. Notably, the exercise doubles as a grassroots outreach effort by the BJP ahead of the continued rollout of Seva Sankalp activities nationwide, connecting school-age children to a political anniversary milestone.
The party said the 'My Dream India' contest was also designed to encourage students to think about India's future and consider their own role in building a developed nation — an objective aligned with the broader national discourse around Viksit Bharat (Developed India) by 2047.
What Comes Next
The BJP is expected to continue organising events under the 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan' in Gujarat and other states, with further details on the contest outcomes and any follow-up recognition for student participants yet to be announced.
Point of View
This is a party-organised event conducted inside government and private school premises — a form of political outreach that uses civic-sounding themes to reach one of society's most impressionable demographics. The BJP has been skilled at converting anniversary milestones into mass participation drives, and a single-day count of over 66 lakh participants across both competitions is not incidental — it is a mobilisation metric. What is absent from the party's framing is any independent assessment of whether the competition's stated educational objectives — connecting students to national development goals — translate into measurable learning outcomes. The overlap between political messaging and school curricula in state-sponsored or party-organised contests is worth scrutiny, particularly as similar campaigns expand beyond Gujarat.
NationPress
20 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 'My Dream India' competition organised in Gujarat?
It is a drawing and speech contest held across nearly 39,000 Gujarat schools on 19 September 2026 under the BJP's 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan', inviting students to present their vision for India's future. The event was organised to commemorate PM Narendra Modi completing 25 years in public life.
How many students participated in the Gujarat 'My Dream India' event?
A total of 55.35 lakh students took part in the drawing competition, while around 11 lakh participated in the speech competition — making the combined turnout over 66 lakh students in a single day.
What is the BJP's 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan'?
The 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan' is a BJP-led campaign in Gujarat that marks PM Narendra Modi's 25 years in public life. It encompasses a series of activities involving students, youth, and other sections of society to celebrate the milestone and engage citizens around national development themes.
What themes were covered in the drawing competition?
The drawing competition covered themes such as a developed India, clean and green India, self-reliance, women's empowerment, modern technology, education, innovation, youth power, and patriotism.
Will there be further events under the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan?
The BJP has indicated it will continue organising activities under the 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan' in Gujarat and other states. Details on contest outcomes, student recognition, and upcoming events are yet to be announced.
