The Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education has extended the online registration deadline for Yuva Sangam Phase VII from August 18, 2026 to August 31, 2026, providing additional opportunity for eligible youth participation. The program targets youth aged 18-30 years, including higher education students, NSS/NYKS volunteers, and young professionals, who can register through the official portal at https://ebsb.aicte-india.org.
Twenty premier Higher Education Institutions have been designated as nodal institutions to host the exchange program, including IITs, IIMs, Central Universities, and NITs. Selected participants will undertake 5-7 day educational and cultural tours (excluding travel days) to paired States/UTs, gaining firsthand exposure to local traditions, educational institutions, governance initiatives, innovation ecosystems, industries, heritage sites, and community life.
The state/UT pairings for Phase VII include: Uttar Pradesh paired with Keralam (BHU Varanasi and IIT Palakkad), Madhya Pradesh with Karnataka (SPA Bhopal and CU Karnataka), Assam with Telengana (IIT Guwahati and CU Hyderabad), Goa with Mizoram (NIT Goa and CU Mizoram), Rajasthan with Sikkim (IIT Jodhpur and Sikkim University), J&K/Ladakh with Maharashtra (NIT Srinagar and IIT Bombay), West Bengal with Uttarakhand (IIT Kharagpur and HBNU Srinagar), Chandigarh with Gujarat (IISER Mohali and CU Gujarat), Himachal Pradesh with Odisha (NIT Hamirpur and IIM Sambalpur), and Delhi with Tamil Nadu (Delhi University and CU Tamil Nadu).
Yuva Sangam operates under the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat initiative with the objective of strengthening emotional bonds and fostering mutual understanding among youth from different regions. The program is structured around five thematic pillars (5 Ps): Paryatan (Tourism), Parampara (Traditions & Culture), Pragati (Development & Governance), Paraspar Sampark (People-to-People Connect), and Prodyogiki (Technology & Innovation). This initiative aligns with the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 to promote national unity and appreciation of India's diversity.