SYLLABUS
GS-1: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.
Context: Education Minister Pralhad Joshi launched the registration portal for the fifth edition of Kashi Tamil Sangamam (KTS 5.0) to strengthen the cultural and civilisational ties between Tamil Nadu and Kashi.
About the Kashi Tamil Sangamam 5.0
- Organised by: Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, in collaboration with IIT Madras, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), the Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT), Chennai, the Uttar Pradesh Government and other Central Ministries and Departments.
- Dates: 28 November to 12 December 2026.
- Theme: “Thirukkural Payilvom – Thirukkural Abhyas Karen” (Let us learn the Thirukkural).
- Objective: To strengthen the historical, cultural and civilisational connections between Tamil Nadu and Kashi under the spirit of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.
- Itinerary: Varanasi, Prayagraj and Ayodhya, with cultural, academic, spiritual and domain-specific engagements.
- Registration: Applications are open from 22 October to 13 November 2026 through the official Kashi Tamil Sangamam portal.
- Eligible categories: Students, teachers, writers and media professionals, agriculture and allied sectors, professionals and artisans, women, and spiritual leaders.
Key Initiatives under KTS 5.0
- Nationwide Students’ Engagement Programme: Activities across 1,000 higher education institutions (HEIs) will promote the study, research and understanding of the Thirukkural among students from diverse academic and linguistic backgrounds.
- Student Internship and Research Initiative: 1,000 selected students will undertake a month-long internship, receive a stipend of ₹10,000 each, and study the Thirukkural through structured learning, campus activities and research papers.
- Educational Outreach in Varanasi: Experts from Tamil Nadu will visit schools and colleges to explain the text’s core values through orientation programmes, interactive sessions and quizzes.
- Reading and Creative Activities: The National Book Trust, in association with Rashtriya e-Pustakalaya, will organise school-level activities focusing on reading habits, storytelling and creativity.
- Technology and Multilingual Outreach: Digital resources and translations will make the teachings of the Thirukkural accessible to a wider audience across India.
About Kashi Tamil Sangamam
- KTS is a national-level cultural and educational initiative launched by the Ministry of Education in 2022 to strengthen the civilisational, linguistic and cultural ties between Kashi and Tamil Nadu, two ancient centres of Indian knowledge traditions.
- Conceptualised under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB) and aligned with Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, it promotes national unity through shared heritage and historical links reflected in literature, philosophy, temple traditions and pilgrimage circuits.
- It facilitates direct interaction, academic dialogue, cultural immersion and linguistic learning among participants.
- It also aligns with NEP 2020 by promoting multilingualism, experiential learning and Indian languages in higher education.