Shimona Sharma, Damini Sharma
The North News
Chandigarh, November 18
Senior journalist and author Rajdeep Sardesai has urged young people to look beyond social media and think critically about India’s future, telling a gathering in Chandigarh that his own four-decade career in journalism remains driven by passion. Speaking at Agahi MUN 4.0, a two-day model United Nations conference held on November 15–16, Sardesai recalled asking former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar what kept him motivated. “He told me he plays every match as if it were his first. I feel the same after 37 years in journalism,” Sardesai said, adding that Generation Z should avoid limiting their world to “just Instagram”.
The event, hosted at the open-air venue The House of Castles, drew more than 1,000 delegates from across India. Organisers say it is the country’s largest privately run MUN and the first to be held entirely outdoors.
A cultural programme during the Social Night added momentum to the conference, giving participants a space to unwind and exchange ideas.
Agahi Events co-founders Jivtesh Singh and Tejas Sareen said the fourth edition of the conference had grown into a wider movement promoting youth leadership and critical thinking. Jivtesh described the event as “a place where ideas breathe freely”, while Sareen said the open-air setting symbolised “learning in openness, where intellect meets inspiration”.
Built around the theme “Bringing the Change”, the conference encouraged delegates to debate global governance, sustainable development and international cooperation. Organisers said the open-air format aimed to promote transparency and freedom of thought, blending academic debate with cultural expression.
Photo by Ashish Sharma
The conference opened with a ceremony featuring traditional performances and a keynote address by Punjab legislator Rana Gurjeet Singh, who stressed the importance of globally aware youth leadership. Chief Guest Satnam Sandhu, DLF vice-president Lok Pal Singh, Matrin CEO Lalit K. Sharma, The North News Editor in Chief, Dr Kiran Deep and Dr KPS Brar were also present on the occasion.
