Chhattisgarh Delegation consisting of 45 Participants arrive at IIM Kozhikode; Set to explore Kerala as part of Yuva Sangam Phase IV
Kozhikode: The Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode welcomed 45 students from Chhattisgarh as part of the exchange leg of ‘Yuva Sangam’ initiative by the Government of India. The leading B-School based out of Kerala has tied up with Guru Ghasidas University Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh) for this student exchange programme as part of Phase IV of Yuva Sangam, under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB) Campaign of the Ministry of Education. The visiting students were accorded a traditional ‘Thalapoli’ Kerala welcome as they are set to embark on their 5-day Kerala exploration trip, beginning today.
In the inauguration ceremony for the Kerala leg kick-off held at IIM Kozhikode this morning, Deans – Prof. Deepa Sethi & Prof. Rajesh Upadhyayula; Mentor Professor – Prof. Anandakuttan Unnithan; IIMK Yuva Sangam Nodal Officer – Prof. Vijay Kuriakose and IIMK Head Admin & Human Resources – Lt.Col. Julius George (Retd.) warmly received the delegation and briefly introduced them to various fascinating cultural and traditional aspects of God’s Own Country.
Prof. Debashis Chatterjee, in his message shared best wishes with the Chhattisgarh delegation and added “IIM Kozhikode is excited to welcome our guests from Chhattisgarh who are here to explore the beautiful state of Kerala under Yuva Sangam programme. It is an opportunity for these young ambassadors from Chhattisgarh to explore the cultural and social richness of this South Indian state, across the next few days. Hoping this exchange will encourage young minds to diligently share enlightening aspects of their own home state with us and strengthen not only the bond between the two states, but also bring the nation as a whole together through this cultural immersion.”
The visiting delegation consists of 45 students from Chhattisgarh and the diverse group comprises of 20 female and 25 male youngsters made up of undergraduate, post graduate and off-campus youth. The delegation is accompanied by six faculty members from Guru Ghasidas University, Bilaspur. Host institute, IIM Kozhikode has come up with an intensive 5-day travel itinerary for the visiting delegates covering all the 5 Ps – Paryatan (Tourism), Parampara (Traditions), Pragati (Development), Paraspar Sampark (People-to-people connect), and Prodyogiki (Technology) benchmarked under the Yuva Sangam Programme. The places of visit include: Pazhassi Raja Museum and Art Gallery, Regional Science Centre & Planetarium, Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary & Estuary, Edakkal Caves, Wayanad Heritage Museum, Tea & Honey Museum Visit, Enoor Tribal Heritage, Kappad Beach, Kalamandalam, Cheruthuruthy (Thrissur) and many other sought after local destinations. The delegates will be experiencing and savoring traditional and authentic Kerala cuisine and will also be exposed to the cultural richness that the state has to showcase and offer – serene village and tribal life, pot making, various local artisans, Tholpavakoothu, Vayali and the martial art form – Kalarippayattu.
Earlier, the 40-member delegation from Kerala and Lakshadweep led by IIMK faculty and staff members returned to Kozhikode on Friday after a successful 8-day tour of Chhattisgarh, which was flagged off by Director IIM Kozhikode on March 7th from the Campus.
Yuva Sangam is a Government of India initiative that focuses on organizing educational-cum-cultural tours for the youth, including on-campus and off-campus students, from one state/UT to another. During the tours, multi-dimensional exposure under five broad areas which are Paryatan (Tourism), Parampara (Traditions), Pragati (Development), Paraspar Sampark (People-to-people connect), and Prodyogiki (Technology) is provided to visiting delegation. Youth across various states/UTs will visit their paired counterpart for 5-7 days (excluding travel days) during which they will get an immersive experience of various facets of the state and the opportunity to interact and deeply engage with the local youth.