Rupnagar: 'Yuva Sangam' is not merely a cultural exchange programme but a powerful instrument of national integration, said Indian Institute of Technology Ropar Director Rajeev Ahuja on Monday.

Addressing a gathering during the inaugural ceremony welcoming the Bihar delegation as part of Yuva Sangam Phase VI -- the Union education ministry's flagship youth exchange programme -- Ahuja expressed confidence that the interaction between young people from Bihar and Punjab would forge bonds that go far beyond their time on campus.

Over the next six days, the Bihar delegates will undertake a structured programme across Punjab, including visits to historical and cultural sites, academic interactions, laboratory tours at IIT Ropar, and engagement with local communities.

Recalling IIT Ropar's earlier flagging off of the Punjab delegation to Bihar on May 22, Ahuja noted that the reciprocal visit completes a meaningful circle of friendship between the two states.

The Bihar delegation, which arrived at the IIT Ropar campus, was accorded a warm traditional welcome by students, faculty, and staff, according to the institute's statement.

IIT Ropar has been designated as the nodal institution for Punjab under Yuva Sangam Phase VI, paired with Bihar.

The programme, conducted under the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB) initiative, is structured around five thematic pillars, 'Paryatan' (tourism), 'Parampara' (traditions and culture), 'Pragati' (development and governance), 'Paraspar Sampark' (people-to-people connect), and 'Prodyogiki' (technology and innovation).

Phase VI encompasses 22 higher educational institutions across the country, facilitating large-scale youth exchanges between paired states.

The programme is designed to give delegates a lived understanding of Punjab's heritage, governance achievements, and technological innovation.

This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.