The 8th edition of the ChaT International Youth Summit 2026 concluded successfully at the Rajasthan International Center, Jaipur, bringing together students and young participants from several educational institutions for a day filled with meaningful conversations, powerful life lessons, humour and inspiration.
Organised by Changing Tomorrow (ChaT), the summit has evolved into a youth leadership platform that connects young people with changemakers, entrepreneurs, artists, social leaders and creative voices from diverse fields. The 2026 edition featured Aruna Roy, Manini De, Bindabasini Kansakar and Punit Pania, each bringing a distinctive perspective and personal journey to the platform.
Janta Janardhan: The summit opened with noted social activist, former civil servant and MKSS co-founder Aruna Roy, who joined the audience virtually due to an unforeseen personal reason. In an inspiring and thought-provoking interaction, Roy encouraged young people to ensure that the benefits of development, quality education and basic necessities reach the last person in society, particularly in rural India.
She urged students not to be afraid of asking questions, emphasising that questioning leads to answers, understanding and growth. Roy also encouraged young people to challenge stereotypes and spoke about the importance of an individual’s freedom to define oneself within the framework of law. Her session offered valuable lessons on independent thinking, responsible citizenship and social awareness.
Many Me’s : The second session featured acclaimed actor, psychotherapist, healer and voice mentor Manini De. Energetic and spontaneous, De connected closely with the young audience while sharing experiences from her professional and personal journey. She spoke about self-belief, emotional strength, discipline, positivity and staying focused on one’s goals. Her interaction encouraged students to look at challenges as opportunities to learn, evolve and become stronger.
Face Value: One of the most moving sessions of the day came from Bindabasini Kansakar, acid attack survivor, former Member of Parliament from Nepal and advocate for survivors’ rights. Sharing her deeply personal journey of pain, recovery and rebuilding, Kansakar left the audience visibly moved. She spoke about finding the strength to move forward and transforming her own experience into a mission to support other acid attack survivors. Her story became a powerful lesson in courage, dignity, empathy and resilience.
Bhai Mazak Thodi Hai: The summit concluded with stand-up comedian Punit Pania, who brought laughter, satire and reflection together on the ChaT stage. Known for his observational humour, Pania connected with students through his witty take on careers, social expectations and everyday life. He also shared lessons from his own journey of following his passion for comedy, reminding young people of the importance of finding their own path.
The 2026 edition once again reflected the core idea behind ChaT – young people need not only stories of success, but also honest conversations about uncertainty, setbacks, choices, courage and reinvention.
From Aruna Roy’s call to question and think independently, to Manini De’s message of positivity and focus, Bindabasini Kansakar’s extraordinary resilience and Punit Pania’s humour-driven perspective on life, ChaT International Youth Summit 2026 offered four very different yet equally meaningful journeys.
The organisers said ChaT will continue creating conversations that encourage young people to question, learn, lead and create change in their own way.
