Shillong, Oct 13: The government will fully bear passport application expenses for youth selected for international exposure tours, Sports & Youth Affairs Minister Wailadmiki Shylla announced.
Addressing the launch of the second State-Level Chief Minister’s Youth Engagement Programme (CMYEP) 2026 at Lariti Performing Centre, Mawkasiang, Shylla said the move will cover upcoming Philippines delegation and future tours, along with financial assistance and stipend.
Citing his own early exchange experience in Japan, he said the programme reached 14,000 youth across 56 C&RD blocks this year.
“Meghalaya is the only state where youth engagement programmes start from block level,” he said, adding with 52 per cent of the population under 20, the government has scaled youth and sports budget from Rs 30-40 crore to over Rs 840 crore.
He said future editions will ensure full inclusivity for youths with disabilities and thanked Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma for prioritising youth.
The five-day camp themed ‘Young Meghalaya, Shaping Tomorrow’ features Nasha Mukt Yuva, AI, climate change declamations, science exhibition, folk arts and adventure sports.
