Patna: A 55-member delegation from Punjab will visit Bihar from Saturday to May 30 under Yuva Sangam Phase VI, an initiative of the Ministry of Education under the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat programme.
The delegation will include 50 students from different districts of Punjab and five faculty members from IIT Ropar, the nodal institution for the state. IIT Patna has been designated as the nodal institution for Bihar.
Officials said the visiting team would receive a traditional welcome at Patna Junction on Saturday before proceeding to the IIT Patna campus, where accommodation arrangements have been made.
Programme aimed at strengthening cultural ties
Yuva Sangam is a flagship youth exchange programme of the Department of Higher Education intended to promote emotional bonding, cultural understanding and interaction among youth from different states and Union Territories.
IIT Patna director Prof T N Singh said a dedicated team had been formed to coordinate the programme and ensure the smooth conduct of the visit.
He said the students from Punjab would get an opportunity to experience Bihar’s cultural heritage, traditions and developmental initiatives. According to him, the programme would further strengthen the spirit of “Unity in Diversity” through travel and cultural exchange.
Visits planned across Bihar
The itinerary has been designed around the five pillars of Yuva Sangam — tourism, traditions, development, technology and people-to-people connection.
The delegation is scheduled to visit several historical and cultural sites, including the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, Vishnupad Temple and Mangla Gauri Temple in Gaya, the ruins of Nalanda University, Pawapuri Jal Mandir, Bihar Museum, Takht Sri Harimandir Ji Patna Sahib and the Vishwa Shanti Stupa in Rajgir.
Other destinations include the Ular Sun Temple in Dulhin Bazar, Ghoda Katora Lake and Glass Bridge in Rajgir, Mithila Haat in Darbhanga, and the Gopal Narayan Public Library in Bharatpura.
Exposure to agriculture and industry
The delegation will also visit Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University in Samastipur and the ICAR–National Research Centre on Litchi in Muzaffarpur.
To showcase Bihar’s industrial development, visits have also been planned to a biscuit factory and Hero Cycles manufacturing unit in Bihta, along with metal industries in Parev and Koilwar.
Interaction with Governor and rural outreach
Officials said the students would interact with the Governor of Bihar at Lok Bhavan on May 28.
The programme also includes exposure to Bihar’s traditional cuisine and visits to villages and rural areas to familiarise participants with the state’s rural life and cultural landscape.
