Mangalore : Dr. N. S. Channappa Gowda, the deputy commissioner welcomed the guests, delegates, and participants who have arrived TMA Pai Convention Hall for the 17th National Youth Festival, to be held on Jan 12, Thursday.

Speaking on the occasion, he said that around 912 young people from 13 states across India who came to the city. Accommodation for those who arrived on Tuesday has been arranged at NIT-K Hostel.

Prior to the inaugural ceremony, around 50 folk teams will participate in the procession to be held from Nehru Maidan to Mangala Stadium, presenting the rich cultural heritage of Karnataka the guests. The procession will also include 600 participants bearing the National flag of India.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Mohan Alva of the Alva’s Education Foundation said that the inaugural ceremony will be followed by a one and half hour cultural program, based on the theme of “number 17” since it is the 7th National Youth Festival.

The DK Bus Owners Association said that free transportation has been arranged for the participants of the National Youth Festival.

H. R. Nataraj Urs, the joint director of Collegiate Education said that although the district administration has not declared holidays for colleges in DK, the students participating in the fest can ask permission of their respective principals to participate in the event.

The Rashtriya Yuva Purasakar will be conferred on 28 young people from 19 Indian states during this event. Some of the young achievers to be honoured are Edunuri Shankar, A Venkatalakshmi, K. H. Bhagavan Das Gautham of Andhra Pradesh, Bidyuth Dibya Jyothi of Assam, Banti Solanki of Delhi, Kajal C. Karkera of Goa, Raki Dineshchandra of Gujarath, Seema Rani Subhash of Haryana, Vijayakumar, Raja Abdul Vaheed of Jammu Kashmir, Y. Chinnappa of Karnataka, Babu Rajan of Kerala, Santhosh Thivari of Madhya Pradesh, Amith Ganapath Gorke, Nisha Vithoba Jadav of Maharashtra, Jyotsnamayi of Orissa, Girirajkumar, Ramdayal of Rajasthan, Pradeep Mahara of Uttarkhand, Roopali Biswas, Rishab Jain of West Bengal, Rajendra Singh of Manipura, Lwariniyang of Meghalaya, Joy Deep of Tripura, and Sadish of Pondichery.