Patna: Around 50 students from various districts of Bihar participated in a week-long educational and cultural exchange visit to Punjab under the Ministry of Education’s Yuva Sangam Phase-6 programme, an initiative designed to strengthen national integration through youth engagement and cross-cultural learning.
Organised under the Centre’s Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat programme, the visit was coordinated by IIT Patna and IIT Ropar, which served as the nodal institutions for the exchange.
Experiencing Punjab’s Cultural And Historical Legacy
During the visit, participants explored several of Punjab’s prominent historical, cultural and educational landmarks.
The itinerary included visits to Khatkar Kalan, the ancestral village of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, the Archaeological Survey of India site at Ropar, Punjab Lok Bhavan, Sukhna Lake, Jallianwala Bagh, the Attari border, Sri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple), Virasat-e-Khalsa and the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Amritsar.
Students were also exposed to Punjab’s industrial landscape through visits to manufacturing facilities, including Toppan Industries, providing them with insights into the state’s economic and industrial development.
Interaction With Punjab Governor
One of the highlights of the programme was an interaction with Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria.
Addressing the participants, the governor described Yuva Sangam as a visionary initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that enables young people to understand and appreciate India’s cultural diversity while strengthening the spirit of national unity.
He emphasised the importance of youth engagement in fostering mutual understanding between different regions of the country and building stronger bonds among future generations.
Building Bridges Between States
The Yuva Sangam programme seeks to provide students with immersive experiences beyond their home states, allowing them to engage with local traditions, institutions, communities and development models.
Organisers said the exchange offered participants an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of Punjab’s cultural heritage while also encouraging interaction and dialogue among young people from different parts of India.
IIT Patna Team Facilitates Programme
The successful conduct of the programme was supported by Dr Satendra Kumar, Dr Sunil Kumar Singh and the IIT Patna coordination team.
Officials said the initiative helped participants broaden their perspectives, develop a greater appreciation of India’s diversity and strengthen the ideals of cultural exchange and national integration envisioned under the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat programme.
The week-long visit concluded with participants returning to Bihar after experiencing Punjab’s history, traditions, educational institutions and development initiatives first-hand.
