Kashi Tamil Sangamam's fifth edition to be held from Nov 28-Dec 12

NEW DELHI: The fifth edition of the cultural and educational exchange programme Kashi Tamil Sangamam (KTS 5.0) will be held from November 28 to December 12, Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi announced on Thursday.

The minister also launched the registration portal for the programme, which will celebrate, reaffirm and strengthen the age-old civilisational bonds between Tamil Nadu and Kashi, the two ancient seats of learning, strengthening the spirit of 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat'.

"Since ancient times, the country has had a strong cultural unity. Many people visited Kashi and Rameswaram as part of their religious traditions, reflecting the deep-rooted cultural bonds between the northern and southern parts of India," Joshi said.

"The programme would bring together students, teachers, writers, professionals, agriculturalists, artists, women and spiritual scholars. Educational outreach initiatives would be carried out in higher education institutions to familiarise students with the objectives of Kashi Tamil Sangamam," he said.

The theme of KTS 5.0 is "Thirukkural Payilvom - Thirukkural Abhyas Karen", which translates to "Let's learn Thirukkural".

The fifth edition seeks to bring the timeless ethical and moral wisdom of the classical Tamil text Thirukkural closer to the youth and learners across the country.

Interested applicants may register through the official portal hosted by IIT Madras from October 22 to November 13 under seven categories -- students, teachers, writers and media professionals; agriculture and allied sectors; professionals and artisans; women and spiritual leaders.

According to the Ministry of Education, a nationwide student engagement programme will be undertaken through 1,000 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across the country to promote wider understanding of the Thirukkural among students from diverse academic disciplines and linguistic backgrounds.