Democratic Sangha launches Young Leaders for Social Change programme in Vijayawada

Non-partisan civic organisation Democratic Sangha on Saturday launched the Vijayawada chapter of its Young Leaders for Social Change (YLSC) programme, aimed at developing civic awareness and leadership skills among school students.

Narasaraopet MP Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu formally inaugurated the programme in Vijayawada. YLSC is a four-month civic and social leadership programme designed for students from classes VIII to XII. It seeks to help young people understand democracy, constitutional values, leadership, human rights, public policy and governance, while equipping them to identify and address challenges in their communities.

The programme combines interactive learning with discussions involving public leaders and social-sector professionals. Students will also work collaboratively on projects focused on real-world social and community issues .A key component of the programme is an experiential visit to the Parliament of India in New Delhi, giving participants an opportunity to understand parliamentary democracy firsthand.

The Vijayawada cohort will run from October 2026 to January 2027 under the mentorship of Yasaswini Peddi, a social-impact and youth-development professional working in areas including grassroots innovation, entrepreneurship, sustainability and community development.

Following the Vijayawada launch, YLSC has expanded to its fourth city, following three previous cohorts — two in Hyderabad and one in Bengaluru.

Founded by Chaitanya MRSK, with Regina Cassandra and Deepti Alapati as co-founders, Democratic Sangha is a non-partisan civic organisation working to promote civic education, leadership development and public participation. Its initiatives also include programmes for rural women’s leadership, democracy fellows and changemakers.

Democratic Sangha co-founder Regina Cassandra, founder Chaitanya MRSK, and YLSC Vijayawada cohort mentor Yasaswini Peddi also spoke on the occasion.