# Ajit Doval urges India’s youth to put national interest first 2026-08-05T23:17:42+00:00 | Politics | Indian Opinion Desk National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, accepting the Lokmanya Tilak National Award 2026 from Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Pune, called on India's young people to set aside narrow, short-term personal gains and devote themselves to national progress, describing the present moment as a window of opportunity to build a stronger country. He cautioned that freedom should not be confused with unrestricted personal liberty, and said India faces challenges from both inside and outside the country, adding that its development remains, in his words, a threat to many powers. Doval also recalled first arriving in Pune roughly 76 years earlier as a young child, when his father was posted there with the Army, and described a school lecture on Lokmanya Tilak's life that first drew his interest, before he returned decades later to accept an award bearing Tilak's name. He also praised the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah. The Tilak Smarak Trust instituted the award. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Doval spoke while accepting an award instituted by the Tilak Smarak Trust and presented by Home Minister Amit Shah, and a large part of the reported speech is given over to Lokmanya Tilak rather than to policy. His statement that India's development is still a threat for many powers names no country and cites no incident, and the report carries no response to it. He also urged Indians, and young people in particular, to study Tilak's vision, and recalled first coming to Pune about 76 years ago when his father was posted there with the Army. Whether he names those powers or challenges in a later address is the follow-up this speech sets up. ## Coverage - Republic World Tags: Ajit Doval, Lokmanya Tilak Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/prioritise-national-interest-over-personal-gains-nsa-ajit-dovals-message-to-youth/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/prioritise-national-interest-over-personal-gains-nsa-ajit-dovals-message-to-youth/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.