'Yuva Sangam' excellent initiative to increase people to people connect: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lauded the Ministry of Education’s initiative named ‘Yuva Sangam’, saying that its objective is to increase people to people connect as well as to give an opportunity to the youth of the country to mingle with each other.

“India’s strength lies in its diversity. There is a lot to see in our country. Keeping this in view, the Ministry of Education has taken an excellent initiative named ‘Yuvasangam’. The objective of this initiative is to increase People to People Connect as well as to give an opportunity to the youth of the country to mingle with each other. Higher educational institutions of various states have been linked to it,” the Prime Minister said during the 101st episode of his monthly ‘Mann Ki Baat’ broadcast over All India Radio.

He said in ‘Yuva Sangam’, youth visit cities and villages of other states, they get an opportunity to meet different types of people.

The Prime Minister said in the first round of Yuva Sangam, about 1200 youths have toured 22 states of the country. All the youth who have been a part of it, are returning with such memories, which will remain etched in their hearts for the rest of their lives, he said.

“We have seen that CEOs, Business leaders of many big companies have spent time in India as Back-Packers. When I meet leaders of other countries, many a time they also tell me that they had gone to visit India in their youth. There is so much to know and see in our India that your curiosity will only increase every time. I hope that after coming to know of these exciting experiences, you too will definitely be inspired to travel to different parts of the country,” he said.

In the broadcast, Modi also spoke to two students, Gyamar Nyokum from Arunachal Pradesh, and Vishakha Singh from Bihar.

The students had participated in the Yuva Sangam initiative, aimed at introducing new cultures between the people of two states.

Nyokum, a first-year student at NIT (AP), informed Modi that he learned about Yuva Sangam through his institute and subsequently searched for information about it on the Internet. He travelled to Rajasthan through Yuva Sangam and discovered the rich culture of the state.

“It was my first time visiting a place outside of Arunachal Pradesh. I learned about the vibrant culture of Rajasthan, which I had never known before,” Nyokum shared with PM Modi. In response, Modi informed Gyamar that many soldiers posted at the Arunachal Pradesh border are from Rajasthan and suggested that Gyamar would feel happy when he meets them.

Modi then requested Nyokum to write a blog about his journey, detailing how he learned about new cultures and experienced the heritage of Rajasthan.

After Nyokum, the Prime Minister spoke with Vishakha Singh from Sasaram Village in Bihar. She is currently studying Computer Science and is in her second year of the programme. Singh informed Modi that she learned about Yuva Sangam through her college’s WhatsApp group and decided to participate in it.

When the Prime Minister asked Vishakha Singh if she had learned about new cultures and tried different foods, given that the food culture of Bihar and Tamil Nadu is quite different, she replied that everything was amazing. She shared, “I learned how to adopt and embrace a new culture. I was sent to Tamil Nadu, where I visited ISRO and met the Governor of Tamil Nadu. I tried new food, made new friends, and had meaningful conversations.”

Modi also requested Vishakha to write a blog, sharing her experience and enlightening others about how she learned about the new culture.

In the broadcast, Modi also encouraged people to visit various museums and share attractive pictures taken there with the hashtag ‘#MuseumMemory.’

The Prime Minister mentioned that he recently visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial museum in Japan, describing it as an emotional experience. He emphasised the importance of cherishing historical memories, which can greatly benefit future generations. Museums often provide new lessons and extensive learning opportunities, he added.

Highlighting the International Museum Expo recently organised in India, Modi said it showcased the specialties of over 1,200 museums from around the world.