New Delhi, March 2 (NationPress) The Ministry of Education of India has officially unveiled the online registration portal for Yuva Sangam – Phase VI as part of the "Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat" (EBSB) initiative. This program aims to facilitate exposure visits to 22 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across paired states and Union Territories, according to an official announcement.

The Yuva Sangam program is a key Youth Exchange initiative by the Department of Higher Education, designed to enhance emotional connections and promote mutual understanding among young individuals from diverse states and Union Territories, as stated in the announcement.

This initiative embodies the principle of "Unity in Diversity" by orchestrating structured exposure visits between paired states and UTs, the statement elaborated.

Young individuals aged 18–30 years, including students from Higher Education Institutions, volunteers from the National Service Scheme/Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, and young professionals, are invited to apply via the official portal at: https://ebsb.aicte-india.org and https://ekbharat.gov.in.

In the previous Yuva Sangam Phase V, over 46,000 registrations were recorded nationwide.

The announcement noted that since its inception, more than 6,000 youth and coordinators have participated in immersive tours during various phases of Yuva Sangam (including the pilot phase in 2022), hosted by prominent HEIs across the country, indicating a rising interest in experiential learning and national integration.

For Yuva Sangam Phase VI, 22 HEIs have been selected as nodal institutions throughout the nation. Chosen participants will embark on educational and cultural tours lasting between five to seven days (excluding travel days) to their paired states/UTs.

The program is centered around five thematic pillars, referred to as the 5 Ps: 'Paryatan' (Tourism), 'Parampara' (Traditions and Culture), 'Pragati' (Development and Governance), 'Paraspar Sampark' (People-to-People Connect), and 'Prodyogiki' (Technology and Innovation).

Participants will gain valuable insights into cultural heritage, development projects, technological innovations, local communities, and educational institutions, aligning with the goals of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the statement concluded.

The Yuva Sangam initiative is executed through a collaborative "Whole of Government" strategy, with contributions from various Ministries, Departments, Agencies, state governments, and nodal HEIs.

For Yuva Sangam Phase VI, notable pairings include Andhra Pradesh's IIT Tirupati with Maharashtra's IISER Pune; IIT Delhi with Chhattisgarh's IIT Bhilai; Haryana's NIT Kurukshetra with Tripura's NIT Agartala; Gujarat's IIM Ahmedabad with Odisha's NIT Rourkela; Madhya Pradesh's IIT Indore with Jharkhand's IIT Dhanbad; Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh's IIM Jammu with Kerala's IIM Kozhikode; Punjab's IIT Ropar with Bihar's IIT Patna; and Karnataka's IIIT Dharwad with Rajasthan's MNIT Jaipur.