New Delhi: The Ministry of Education has extended the registration window for fifth phase of Yuva Sangam, an annual cultural and education exchange programme, officials on Tuesday said.
“The response for Yuva Sangam has been truly encouraging. The window for registration which was earlier slated to close on October 21, 2024 has now been extended till October 25, 2024. This extension in deadline has been necessitated by the surge in response in the last few days and to facilitate registration for intending participants,” said a senior Ministry of Education official.
The idea of a sustained and structured cultural connect between people from different regions was mooted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Rashtriya Ekta Divas held on October 31, 2015 to commemorate Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s birth anniversary.
To crystallise this idea, the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB) programme was launched on October 31, 2016.
The Yuva Sangam is aimed at facilitating engagement and collaboration among youth in the age group of 18 to 30 years across the diverse landscape of India. The programme now in its fifth phase has facilitated cross-cultural learnings and interaction for 4,795 youth across India through 114 tours.
“Young professionals (employed or self-employed) and students, including NSS and NYKS volunteers, as well as off-campus youth (those enrolled for online courses, in skilling institutions etc.) are encouraged to apply for this life-changing experience through multi-dimensional exposure in five broad areas – the 5 Ps viz; Paryatan (Tourism), Parampara (Traditions), Pragati (Development), Paraspar Sampark (People-to-people connect) and Prodyogiki (Technology),” the official added.
The exchange programme supported by several other central ministries and departments takes the participants on an immersive tour to paired states to experience local history, culture, traditions and gain a deep understanding of the country’s diversity.
The earlier phases of the all-India cultural exchange programme have been a massive success. Twenty eminent institutions across India have been identified for Phase V of Yuva Sangam during which the participants from these states and UTs, led by the nodal higher education institute (HEI) of the state and UT, respectively, will be visiting their paired destination.
