Democratic Sangha launches Young Leaders for Social Change program in Vijayawada

MP for Narasaraopet Lava Sri Krishna Devarayalu, actor and co-founder of Democratic Sangha Regina Cassandra, founder Chaitanya and others during the launch of the Young Leaders for Social Change (YLSC) program in Vijayawada on Saturday. | Photo credit: GN RAO

Non-partisan civic organization 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.

MP for Narasaraopet Lava Sri Krishna Devarayalu formally launched the program in Vijayawada. YLSC is a four-month civic and social leadership program designed for students of 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 solve problems in their communities.

The program combines interactive learning with discussions involving public representatives and experts from the social sector. Students will also collaborate on projects focused on real-world social and community issues. A key part of the program is an experiential visit to the Indian Parliament in New Delhi, which will provide participants with an opportunity to understand parliamentary democracy first-hand.

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

With the launch of Vijayawada, YLSC has expanded to its fourth city after three previous cohorts – two in Hyderabad and one in Bengaluru.

Founded by Chaitanya MRSK, co-founders Regina Cassandra and Deepti Alapati, Democratic Sangha is a non-partisan civic organization working to promote civic education, leadership development and public participation. Its initiatives also include programs for rural women leaders, democracy fellows and change makers.

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

Published – 05 Sep 2026 22:59 IST