Jammu, Feb 24: Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta Friday flagged off a contingent of students comprising 58 students, including 17 girls, belonging to different educational institutes of Jammu and Kashmir on a tour of Assam from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Jammu here.
An official spokesman in a statement issued here said that the group comprises candidates from all districts, with 80 percent coming from a rural background, eight off-campus youth, and most academic disciplines.
The group would visit Assam for about a week and are expected to return back on March 7.
On the occasion, Mehta spoke about the importance of travel in broadening one's perspective and fostering mutual respect and understanding.
He also highlighted the Yuva Sangam initiative, which aims to connect youth from all over India through sustained cultural exchange programmes.
The chief secretary felicitated IIT Jammu for such an initiative that has provided opportunity to students from diverse backgrounds to explore lands outside J&K.
He termed such youth oriented programmes an experience that enriches people by broadening their vision and horizons of knowledge.
Mehta also expected that many more youth from the far flung areas of J&K would be offered such an opportunity of enhancing their knowledge, experience, and entertainment in future.
The programme has been designed to provide an immersive educational experience around tradition, tourism, development, enterprise, and people-to-people connection.
These students would visit VVIPs, SMEs, NGOs, SHGs, and industry bodies.
They are going to watch the landmark projects and cultural heritage of the visited places.
These students in turn are going to contribute to the programme through blogs, reels, and reports on themes related to SDGs or India's mission mode initiatives like G-20, Jal Shakti, and earn academic credits and certificates for their contributions.
During this event it was revealed that the institute is also preparing to welcome the incoming group of 27 students from Assam on a visit here coordinated by IIT Guwahati on March 3.
The incoming group would be given a similar wide-ranging experience in J&K including visit to landmark projects like Chenab bridge, lavender plantations, Suchetgarh border, Bhadarwah Fort, MSMEs, Self Help Groups, Industry Associations and the like.
The IIT Jammu in its message wished its outgoing group a safe and enjoyable journey and looks forward to welcoming the incoming group as well.
