The Govt. of India initiative aims to strengthen people-to-people connect, especially between youth in the Northeast and other states

Bengaluru  : Facilitated by Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB), 50 students from colleges of Karnataka left for IIT Guwahati, this morning, as part of an immersive experience, between 24th February and 4th March 2023. Similarly, IIM Bangalore will welcome 30 students from Assam, from 2nd March to 8th March 2023.

The visits have been organized as part of Yuva Sangam under the ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ initiative by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, to strengthen people-to-people connect, especially between youth belonging to the Northeast and other states in the country. IIM Bangalore is one of the nodal institutions in the country for this initiative.

The ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ Yuva Sangam seeks to provide an immersive experience of various facets of life, development landmarks, recent achievements and youth connect in the host state. During their visits, the students will have a multidimensional exposure under five broad areas – Paryatan (Tourism), Parampara (Traditions), Pragati (Development), Prodyogik (Technology) and Paraspar Sampark (People-to-people Connect).

Staff of IIM Bangalore and IIT Guwahati will be involved in the immersive visits. Professor Rishikesha T Krishnan, Director, IIM Bangalore, while congratulating the 50 students selected for the tour, advised them to make the most of this immersive experience and learn about each other’s history, culture, way of life, and more. “Document your experiences in a journal or on your phone, make friends, and be the brand ambassadors of Karnataka,” he told them.

The students are from colleges in Bangalore, Hassan, Shimoga and other parts of the State, and this is their first visit to the Northeast so their excitement was palpable.

The tours will also include interaction with entrepreneurs, artistes, NGOs, sportspersons, and district administration officials, to make the overall experience more enriching for the students.

The Government of India has also announced a competition for the participants of Yuva Sangam. They have been invited to present a 2000-word paper, supported by photos and videos, within 10 days of the conclusion of the tour. The best paper from each tour will be selected and winners will be given prizes and certificates. The topic for the paper is “How Ek Bharat is truly a Shreshta Bharat: My learnings from the Yuva Sangam tour’. The paper should include their experiences in the 5 areas of Paryatan (Tourism), Parampara (Traditions), Pragati (Development), Prodyogik (Technology) and Paraspar Sampark (People-to-people Connect).