The University Grants Commission (UGC) has called upon universities and colleges across India to participate in Phase 6 of the ‘Yuva Sangam’ programme, an initiative under the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat campaign aimed at fostering cultural exchange and national integration among youth.
Registrations for the upcoming phase are open on the Yuva portal (ebsb.aicte-india.org) until March 18, 2026. The exposure tours for participants are scheduled to take place between April and June 2026.
Since its inception, over 6,000 students and coordinators have taken part in more than 130 exposure tours, including the pilot phase of the programme. The initiative encourages interaction among youth from different regions, promoting empathy and understanding through cultural and educational exchanges.
For Phase 6, 22 higher education institutions (HEIs) across the country have been paired to organize the exchange tours. Participating institutes include Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, IIT Ropar, IIT Indore, Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Jammu, along with various other IITs, IIMs, and National Institutes of Technology (NITs).
The programme will revolve around five thematic pillars, known as the ‘5 Ps’, designed to help participants explore the host state’s culture, innovation, and development:
UGC has instructed participating institutions to prepare detailed itineraries for the tours in coordination with relevant stakeholders. Each university and college is also required to appoint a nodal officer responsible for coordinating the programme at the institutional level.
To facilitate smooth implementation, the Higher Education Department has provided a standard operating procedure (SOP), checklist, and best practices document to guide institutions in organizing these exchange tours.
The Yuva Sangam programme continues to serve as a platform for fostering national unity, cultural understanding, and experiential learning among Indian youth, furthering the vision of a connected and integrated nation.