Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement - SVYM

10/08/2026

One has to hand it over to the VSOE SS handball team for their continuing winning streak over the last 3 years. The Handball team has made several podium finishes including the CBSE National Handball and the most recent CBSE South Zone Handball Championship with victories in both U-14 an U-17 age groups for both boys and girls.

The training and guidance of our coaches has brought us this far, wish us luck for the Nationals this year too.

31/07/2026

JanAI Cafe launched at Women-led Prakruthi Millet Canteen

The Jan AI Cafe in H.D. Kote is India's first community-led artificial intelligence learning and innovation hub launched by Head Held High Foundation and SVYM at the Prakruthi Millet Canteen, a rural social business run by indigenous tribal women in H.D. Kote. The launch, attended by NITI Aayog Members Dr. R. Balasubramaniam and Dr. Aniya Joram, is a step towards creating a community hub where all grassroots level AI initiatives come together. The JanAI initiative aims to build AI literacy, foster locally relevant AI solutions and make emerging technologies accessible to rural communities through community-owned AI cafes.

Addressing the gathering, Head Held High Foundation founder Madan Padaki described the initiative as "a Mahila Café—by women, for women, building solutions for women. Dr. R. Balu remarked that the rural economy should never be viewed as "just a papad-chikki economy" and that establishing an AI Café within a women-led millet enterprise demonstrated how technology can meaningfully reach rural and tribal India. Smt Savitha Sulugodu, CEO of SVYM added that the model can be taken to places like M M Hills where SVYM is working with the community through an integrated development approach to increase reach and accessibility.

Students from SVYM's vocational skilling programmes shared how AI could help solve local challenges and create opportunities within their own communities.

The Millet Canteen is the first of its kind women-led restaurant reviving the fading tradition of consuming indigenous millet varieties.

The uniqueness of the first AI Cafe opening in the first Millet Canteen run by indigenous women is an interesting convergence—bringing Artificial Intelligence and long standing traditional practices under one roof with a common intention of serving contextually relevant and culturally appropriate development.
The guests were welcomed with a traditional millet-based meal prepared and served by the women entrepreneurs, featuring ragi idli, thalipeeth, ragi bisibelebath, ragi ubbitu and payasa.

Do visit the Millet Canteen to experience this unique confluence of taste and technology!

15/07/2026

Celebrating World Youth Skills Day with the achievements of youngsters trained at SVYM’s Viveka Rural Livelihood Centres across Karnataka.

Investing in building the of our younger generation is the best investment we can make. We thank all our partners supporting our training and upskilling programs for the rural youth.

World Youth Skills Day with the achievements of youngsters trained at SVYM’s Viveka Rural Livelihood Centre in Kenchanahalli, Mysuru District.

01/07/2026

01/07/2026

CME to CHE....for Doctors

For the Doctors working at SVYM and in the Social Sector, CMEs may come as part of a plan, CHEs - Continuing Human Evovlement - come almost every single day, unannounced and often life changing.

Doctors at SVYM learn that curing is a skill but caring is a human expression that forms the basis of serving others - including healthcare. In this pursuit - Doctors at SVYM become pro at riding motorcyles on rural roads that look like the surface of Moon, avoiding the skimmed and perforated tarmac centre and mastering the muddy sides to reach people in remote villages.

Doctors learn to master reading the vital signs of a patient, not just by reading the pulse, but by noticing the sleeves of the blouse becoming loose, the rings and the jewellery gone from the fingers and the neck. Doctors learn that sometimes Rx 'listening & holding hands' has more efficacy than their most trusted drug combination.

Being a Doctor at SVYM can be an entirely opposite experience to being a saviour in a white apron. It comes as a CHE that trust comes from conduct and seeing others as your equal. It nurtures a curiousity that there is much to know and that ignorance is a friend we feared during medical college.

Doctors at SVYM learn how to save and become efficient in their ways, knowing less is more when it comes to working in rural hospitals - and learn how to raise funds to treat patients, believing that it must be listed in their job description. It has not changed a bit when compared to the very first batch of young MMCRI doctors who set forth to take health care to remote tribal communities in 1980s - armed with inexperience and sample medicines. Our Doctors still do the same - take on challenges owning the entire scene and doing whatever it takes.

Doctors flourish when they grow as humans and it always happens when there's a value based, ethical and supportive environment. When there's a blend of mentorship, opportunities and a deep connect with the community.

SVYM is blessed with doctors who are outstanding human beings. And we strive to be a platform where Doctors, starting off or experienced, transform their medical practice into a journey of human expansion and selfless service.

Happy National Doctors' Day

29/06/2026

Investing in our Youth - GenNext–Kauśalyān | Infosys Foundation

Reflecting on our journey with the GenNext-Kausalyan initiative, we are reminded of the immense potential that resides within our youth when given the right direction.

It is heartening to see that through the collective efforts of Infosys Foundation and our GenNext team, the program has trained 149 youth with 67% of the enrolled youth finding suitable placements in 40+ companies, an effort bridging the gap between potential and opportunity.

At its core, this initiative is about building the of our youth, equipping them not just with skills, but with the confidence and character to thrive. We have always believed that every investment made in building human capital is fundamentally an investment in nation-building, creating a sustainable foundation for the country's future.

What has made this journey truly meaningful is our collaboration with the Infosys Foundation. They have walked with us as true development partners, deeply involving themselves in every stage of the program. Their team has contributed to planning, stepped into the classrooms to teach, and hosted our students for exposure visits at the Infosys Campus in Mysuru. This hands-on guidance has provided our youth with honest insights into the professional world and boosted their confidence to aim higher. We thank Vanishree Chickmagalur and the Infosys team for engaging and enriching the learning experience of the students.

By creating a structured, metrics-driven approach to soft skills and employability, GenNext Program has the potential to become a scalable and replicable model for youth development across India. We remain deeply grateful for this partnership as we stay rooted in our vision of building the Human and Social Capital leading to favourable economic consequences.

31/05/2026

In the Footsteps of Vivekananda...charting his own course.

Yesterday evening left many of us wondering: do coincidences truly exist? Or do things happen by design, by destiny, or perhaps both?

As Dr. Balu stood on the dais of the amphitheater at Viveka Smaraka, he reflected deeply on his life's journey. At a remarkable point in his life as he had just been entrusted with the immense responsibility of serving Bharat by joining NITI Aayog. This is the very same sacred ground where Swami Vivekananda stayed before his historic journey to Chicago in 1892, where he too was chosen to represent Bharat and its eternal spirit to the rest of the world. What a beautiful convergence. Though separated by 134 years in a linear sense of time, the two moments are bound together by a timeless sense of dharma.

Viveka Smaraka is the result of the dedicated efforts of devotees from the Ramakrishna Ashrama. Inside the amphitheater where the event took place, the steep slope of the seating area made those on stage come face-to-face with everyone. Dr Balu instantly connected with all those present during the event and as his eyes scanned through every row and every seat, they were met with a warm and fimiliar gaze from his fellow companions along his journey. Dr Balu and his friends recalled fond memories, of beautiful serendipities that simply cannot be framed in logic, but a series of reaffirming moments proving that the path reveals itself if one steadily keeps faith, come what may. In a touching tribute, Dr. Balu attributed all his achievements entirely to Swami Vivekananda, his Guru Swami Achalanandaji and Swami Sureshanandaji, and to the people who trusted and walked alongside him. The presence of all his friends, mentors and the

SVYM and GRAAM young leadership also signified the collective role each one played and continue to play in the founding and evolution of SVYM and GRAAM - the two institutions founded by Dr R Balu.

The event was jointly organized by SVYM and GRAAM to felicitate Dr. R. Balasubramaniam on assuming his role as a Full-Time Member of NITI Aayog. A panel discussion was also arranged on the occasion to host a public dialogue on the future development of Mysuru.

03/05/2026

Dr. R. Balasubramaniam has been appointed as a Full-time Member of NITI Aayog. This appointment starts a new chapter in his lifelong pursuit of contributing to nation-building. Dr R Balu was serving as Member-HR at the Capacity Building Commission (CBC).

In many ways, the role is a continuation of his efforts to ensure that governance is inclusive and rooted in the lived experiences of every citizen. At NITI Aayog, he'll be able to bring his rich grassroots experience to bridge the gap between rural realities and national policy.

Congratulating Dr Balu and Dr Joram on their appointment, Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, shared

" Congratulations to Dr. R. Balasubramaniam Ji and Dr. Joram Aniya Ji on being appointed as Full-time Members of NITI Aayog. Their rich experience and deep understanding of various issues will greatly strengthen policy making. I am confident their contributions will help drive innovation and growth across sectors. Wishing them a very productive and impactful tenure ahead."

All of us at SVYM wish Dr. Balu more power and perseverance in carrying out his duties to our Nation and are excited for him. He has been working on his new book capturing leadership lessons from the Bhagavad Gita expected anytime now.

27/04/2026

Long Weekend, Live Music, Lasting Impact.

Namaskara Mysuru! The long weekend is coming and so is SVYM's Swaraanubhuthi - our annual musical fundraiser supporting our Palliative Care Program. We are excited and honoured to have Vijay Prakash bear the torch for this musical movement for care beyond cure. Make the most of your weekend by gifting the concert tickets to your young loved ones who have aced their exams, or the little ones enjoying their summer vacations. Let sweet melodies rekindle your bond with your friends and family members with a gift of couple tickets. And of couse, come along to experience music that moves the heart and touches the soul. And in the silence that may follow the sound, become the quiet strength of families coping with serious and life limiting illnesses.

All proceeds from this event go directly toward SVYM’s Palliative Care Program. This program provides medical, social, and spiritual support to patients with life-limiting conditions like cancer and HIV, ensuring that there may be an end to cure, but there's no end to care
🎫🎟️
For concert tickets,
https://svym.org/event/swaraanubhuthi