Education Ministry seeks applications for 5th 'Yuva Sangam' open till Oct 21

New Delhi, Oct 17 (PTI) Youth from across the country stand a chance to represent their respective states and Union Territories by participating in the "Yuva Sangam", an initiative of the Ministry of Education under the "Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat" programme, officials said on Thursday.
    Online registration for the fifth edition of Yuva Sangam is open till October 21.
    Interested candidates in the age group of 18-30 years, including students, NSS and NYKS volunteers, and employed or self-employed persons, may register through the Yuva Sangam portal before the deadline.
    Off campus youth, including those enrolled in online courses in different skilling institutions, can also register for the event.
    "It is an exciting opportunity for students and young professionals to learn about the country, its people and even about themselves through this transformative journey of over 5-7 days," a senior Education Ministry official said.
    "Yuva Sangam allows participants to experience the diversity of India first-hand, recognise the cultural-social similarities and challenges, and develop inclusive solutions to address problems or tap opportunities through their professional/academic areas of expertise," the official added.
    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 the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
    To crystallise this idea, the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB) programme was launched on October 31, 2016.
    "Through Yuva Sangam tours, participants will deep dive into local heritage, geography, development landmarks and recent achievements of their paired states. Multi-dimensional exposure will be encouraged in five broad areas or five 'P's -- Paryatan (tourism), Parampara (traditions), Pragati (development), Paraspar Sampark (people-to-people connect), and Prodyogiki (technology)," the official said.
    The initiative also aligns with the key themes of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 by focusing on experiential learning and imbibing knowledge of the rich diversity of India on a first-hand basis.
    "It is an ongoing educational-cum-cultural exchange with celebration of diversity at its core wherein participants gain an immersive experience of the diverse facets of life, natural landforms, development landmarks, engineering and architectural marvels, recent achievements, and the opportunity to interact and engage with the local youth in the host state or UT," the official added.
    Twenty eminent institutions from across India have been identified for the fifth phase of Yuva Sangam during which participants from these states and UTs, led by the nodal higher education institutes, will visit their paired states and UTs.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)