Rourkela: The National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela on Monday welcomed a delegation of 39 students from Gujarat, along with five coordinating officials from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, for a six-day exposure visit to Odisha under the Yuva Sangam Phase VI programme.
The visit, scheduled from May 25 to May 30, 2026, is being organised under the Ministry of Education’s flagship initiative Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB). NIT Rourkela is serving as the nodal institution for Odisha, while IIM Ahmedabad is the nodal institution representing Gujarat.
The programme at NIT Rourkela is being coordinated under the guidance of Prof. Winny Routray, Nodal Officer, Yuva Sangam (Odisha). The visiting delegation is accompanied by coordinators from IIM Ahmedabad, including Ravendra Vaghela, Sumanta Mishra, Divya Biju, Gomathi Mudaliar and Sunilkumar Manubhai Patel.
The students arrived in Rourkela by the Bhubaneswar Tejas Rajdhani Express and were accorded a traditional welcome at the institute campus with folk dhol performances and cultural greetings by local artists and volunteers. Faculty members and student volunteers of NIT Rourkela received the delegation.
On the first day of the programme, the students explored major campus facilities and innovation ecosystems at NIT Rourkela, including the Foundation for Technology and Business Incubation (FTBI) and student activity spaces. A cultural evening was also organised at the institute to formally welcome the participants and introduce them to the rich cultural heritage of Odisha through music and dance performances.
Interacting with the Gujarat delegation, Prof. K. Umamaheshwar Rao, Director of NIT Rourkela, said, “We thank the Ministry of Education, Government of India, for choosing the National Institute of Technology Rourkela as the nodal institution from Odisha for the Yuva Sangam programme under the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat initiative. Such initiatives create meaningful interactions beyond classrooms and help students appreciate the diversity and strength of our nation. The programme is a wonderful effort to strengthen cultural understanding and build people-to-people connections among the youth of India. Odisha offers a unique blend of heritage, tribal traditions, spirituality, industrial growth, and natural beauty, and we are delighted to welcome the participants from Gujarat to experience the rich culture and hospitality of the state through this meaningful exchange programme.”
As part of the six-day exposure programme, the participants will visit important industrial, cultural, historical, and rural development sites across Odisha. On Day 2, the delegation will visit the Rourkela Steel Plant, Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium, and the Tribal Museum in Rourkela to understand the region’s industrial growth and tribal heritage. On Day 3, the students will undertake a heritage tour to Bhubaneswar and Konark, including visits to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Konark Sun Temple, Ekamra Kanan, and Lok Bhavan, where they are scheduled to interact with the Governor of Odisha, Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati. During Day 4, the participants will visit Sundargarh district and interact with the Kisan Sathi Foundation to learn about natural farming practices and rural livelihood initiatives. They will also participate in the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” plantation drive, promoting environmental awareness and sustainability. On Day 5, the delegation will travel to Sambalpur and visit the Samaleswari Temple and Hirakud Dam. The students will further interact with artisans and weaving communities of Baijamunda village to gain insights into Odisha’s renowned handloom and handicraft traditions.
The programme will conclude on Day 6 with a farewell ceremony and an interaction session with distinguished guests and representatives from the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), where participants will share reflections and experiences from the exchange programme.
Following the completion of the Odisha leg of the programme, students from Odisha will begin their exposure visit to Gujarat on May 30, 2026, as part of the reciprocal youth exchange initiative under Yuva Sangam.
Yuva Sangam is a youth exchange initiative conceptualised to provide students with immersive exposure to the cultural, social, technological, and developmental diversity of India. The programme offers participants an opportunity to experience five key dimensions of the host state: tourism, traditions, development, technology, and people-to-people connect.
