REPORT OF SEMINAR ON THE TOPIC “BE THE CHANGE- A YOUTH EMPOWEREMENT PROGRAM”
National Youth Day is celebrated every year on 12th January in India to mark the birth anniversary of Swani Vivekananda, one of the greatest spiritual leaders and youth icons of the nation. The Government of India declared this day in 1984 and it has been observed since 1985with great enthusiasm across the country. The main objective of National Youth Day is to spread awareness about the ideals and values of Swami Vivekananda and to encourage young people to contribute positively to society. Various programs such as seminars, debates, youth conventions, cultural events and social service activities are organised in schools, colleges and institutions on this day.
To commemorate National Youth Day (Jan 12th 2026) the Department of Public Health Dentistry, Azeezia College of Dental Sciences and Research and the NSS unit(NSS/SFU/KLM/KUHS/3) has conducted a seminar on 13-01-2026 for Final Year BDS students on the topic “Be TheChange” -A Youth Empowerment Program” via Google Meet from 7 PM to 8 PM. The resource person for the seminar was Mr Johns K. Lukose, Psychologist and Director, Life skills BVET Centre for counselling and training.
The session was started with Dr. Naveen Jacob Varghese, Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health Dentistry and NSS program officer of Azeezia Dental College, who warmly welcomed the gathering and introduced the topic and speaker followed by the speaker addressing the topic with the objective of motivating and guiding young individuals to adapt to the rapidly changing world. The seminar focused on career uncertainty, technological advancement, emotional intelligence mental health awareness and the importance of adaptability in the post pandemic era. The session aimed to empower youth to become proactive, self-aware and resilient in both personal and professional life. With the development of AI systems capable of diagnosing and performing tasks effectively, there is a growing fear that human jobs may be replaced, so youth should learn to grow along with technology and find ways to use it productively. He spoke about the increasing prevalence of personality and psychological disorders such as OCD, ADHD and other conditions. He strongly advised students not to ridicule or judge individuals struggling with such conditions, instead, they should approach them with empathy, understanding and compassion. After the main session, a doubt clarification session was conducted where participants were given the opportunity to ask questions. The speaker patiently addressed the queries and provided clear explanations. The interactive session helped students gain greater clarity and confidence. Following this a brief feedback session was conducted, during which Bhadra (Final Year Part A student) shared her thoughts and appreciation for the informative and motivating seminar. At the end of the seminar Ms. Graisa Mariam Alex (Final Year Part A student) delivered Vote of Thanks who expressed gratitude to the speaker for the enlightening session. The program was the concluded with a Vote of Thanks by Dr. Arathi Vijayan (Head of The Department) of Department of Public Health Dentistry, expressing gratitude to the speaker, organizer Dr. Naveen Jacob Varghese, and participants for making the eventsuccessful. The seminar concluded with a powerful message; to survive and succeed in the modern world, youth must be adaptable, self-aware, emotionally intelligent and ready to grow with change.
