National Security Advisor Ajit Doval urged India’s youth to place national interest above personal gains and seize the country’s historic opportunity for nation-building. Speaking after receiving the Lokmanya Tilak National Award, he highlighted nationalism, leadership and the need to overcome internal and external challenges
Updated On – 1 August 2026, 05:39 PM
Pune: National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on Saturday called upon the country’s youth to dedicate themselves fully to the national interest and rise above personal gains, urging them to make the most of the “window of opportunity” before India to build a stronger nation.
Addressing a gathering after receiving the Lokmanya Tilak National Award 2026 here, Doval said today’s youth may feel that freedom means doing whatever they want, but that is not the case.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah presented the award, instituted by Tilak Smarak Trust, to Doval.
“Today’s youth should commit themselves completely and think that they will work only for the national interest. They should be willing to sacrifice small personal interests, and even if such considerations arise, they should ignore them,” he said.
Doval said India was passing through a crucial phase in its history and should not allow the present opportunity to slip away.
“There is a window of opportunity in the history of our country. We cannot afford to lose it. Right now, our priority is to build the nation,” he said.
Expressing confidence in India’s future, the NSA said the country would succeed in its mission and create a new chapter in its history.
“I am confident that we will succeed in this endeavour and create a new chapter in our history,” Doval added.
He said the country was fortunate to have leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Hailing Lokmanya Tilak, Doval said he was not only a freedom fighter but also a social reformer and a philosopher.
Doval said when the plague hit Pune and claimed the life of his 21-year-old son, Tilak did not leave the city but stayed back instead.
“The youth probably think that India was always like this. The youth probably think freedom is doing whatever they feel. But freedom was not merely that. Those who sacrificed their lives for freedom, those who struggled for it… Lokmanya Tilak.
“There was pain among the people… they wanted to speak. Tilak gave them the strength to do so and instilled a new ‘chetana’ (consciousness) in them,” he said.
Doval said these days people talk about their rights, but they do not know the pain it would cause those who sacrificed everything for them if those rights are misused.
Tilak did not just give the call that ‘Swaraj is my birthright and I will take it’, but he wanted every citizen to nurture the same mindset, he added.
Doval said it was Tilak’s belief that until a sense of nationalism is instilled among the masses and people rise above their personal interests, nation-building, national development and national security cannot be achieved.
“On strategy, people generally ask me what to do. While formulating a strategy, we often face confusion as multiple paths emerge… a situation of confusion or uncertainty prevails. We call it VED analysis. VED stands for Vital, Essential and Desirable.
“We do VED analysis and assess what is vital, what is essential and what is desirable. If service to the nation is vital to us, if making the country powerful is vital, then all other things become secondary. Essential and desirable things too have their importance, but if they come in the way of national interest, we will not be able to go on that path as that would be detrimental to the nation,” he said.
The National Security Advisor said that on the death anniversary of Tilak, people should resolve to build a new and powerful India.
“India has not yet reached where it should be. We think we are independent and all our responsibilities are over. India still faces internal as well as external challenges.
“Our progress is not such that everyone feels happy. Rather, India’s progress is still a concern for several people, several countries and several elements, and we have to fight these elements,” he said.
To build a powerful India, there is a need to erase doubts and work only in the national interest, he asserted.
“If we go ahead unitedly, we will achieve the goal. Fortunately, today we have great leadership in the form of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amitji, and a conducive atmosphere, and we can make ourselves powerful,” he said.
Doval praised Shah, saying he had the opportunity to work closely with the Union Home Minister.
“I have experienced his dedication, commitment and resolve in serving the national interest. He has a clear vision and has never faced a situation of indecisiveness,” he said.
The work done by Modi and Shah has benefited the country immensely, and “we will take the work ahead”, he said.
Doval said he accepts the award named after Lokmanya Tilak with humility.
Doval, 81, has handled crucial assignments in sensitive regions, including Mizoram, Sikkim, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. He also served in diplomatic roles at Indian missions in Islamabad and London.
He is the longest-serving National Security Advisor of India. Doval has served as India’s Special Representative for the India-China boundary talks and is also credited with playing an important role in diplomatic efforts that helped resolve the Doklam standoff.
Instituted in 1983, the Lokmanya Tilak Award was first conferred on socialist leader S M Joshi, the trust had said.
It is awarded every year on August 1, the death anniversary of freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak, to individuals who have made a remarkable contribution to the nation’s progress and development.
