Manipur bids farewell to student delegates from Maharashtra
Date : 03rd March 2023 :: IIIT Manipur

Manipur bids farewell to student delegates from Maharashtra

IIIT Manipur bids farewell to EBSB delegates from Maharashtra, marking an end of the very first Yuva Sangam Program in the country.

IIIT Manipur on Friday bid farewell to the 40 (fourty) students with three faculties and four student volunteers from Maharashtra who had come on an exposure tour to Manipur under the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB) Yuva Sangam pilot initiative by the Government of India.

The students and the faculty members had the opportunity to interact with the chief minister of Manipur Shri. N. Biren Singh and MP (Rajya Sabha) Maharaja Leishemba Sanjaoba at Shree Shree Govindajee Temple in Imphal’s Palace Compound on Thursday. During the interaction, the chief minister informed the team members that his government is doing its best to develop the state and to enjoy the beauty of Manipur during the visit.

The team who left Imphal today by flight, had arrived to visit Manipur on February 27. On arrival the team was given a warm welcome at a reception function held at IIIT-Manipur, Mantripukhri, Imphal where the chairman of Loktak Development Authority (LDA), Govt. of Manipur, M Asnikumar Singh graced the reception ceremony as the chief guest.

On day two of the exposure tour, the team paid a visit to Laishram Sharita Devi Boxing Academy. She exhorted the visiting students that “Youths should dedicate more for the country”. The renowned woman boxer also appreciated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the EBSB program. The delegation then visited the historic Kangla fort, Saheed Minar, Mapal Kangjeibung, the world’s oldest pologround, and then proceeded to Ima Keithel, the iconic all-women-run market.

In the afternoon the team visited Olympian Park at Sangaithel, Marjing Sahol Kangjei Mitam, a colossal classical equestrian statue of a player of Sagol Kangjei (Meitei for 'polo game'), riding a Meitei horse (Manipuri pony), constructed at the Marjing Polo Complex, the sacred sports site dedicated to God Marjing.

The Maharashtra EBSB team on Day three got the chance of glimpsing Sangai, the brow antlered deer, at its only natural home, Keibul Lamjao National Park, the only floating national park in the globe in Manipur’s Bishnupur district. The team was also mesmerized by the beauty of the Loktak Lake, one of the largest freshwater lakes in South Asia on which the Keibul Lamjao National Park is located on the southern part of the lake.

Manipur bids farewell to student delegates from Maharashtra

Guided by M Asnikumar Singh, chairman of the Loktak Development Authority (LDA). The chairman himself drove the boat and showed all the places in and around Loktak, Keibul Lamjao National Park. He also arranged all the food with local cuisines, boating, and transport in the area.

On day four, the delegates visited Shee Shree Govindaji Temple at Palace Compound in Imphal where the team members interacted with the honourable CM, Shri N Biren Singh and MP Maharaja Sanajaoba.

The team then proceeded to Khongjom War Memorial complex in Thoubal district. Seeing the world's tallest sword statue, the students were impressed how the Manipur government pays homage to the great warriors.

The EBSB team also visited the Eminent School at Khoijuman village in Bishnupur district as a buddy visit programme of the tour. They interacted with the young minds and taught how to be confident and how to crack the competitive exam and many more. At the same time, they learnt more about the village nearby, and their livelihood.

On the evening of 2nd of March 2023, IIIT Manipur hosted a valedictory function for the visiting team where the vice chancellor of DM University Prof. N. Rajmuhon Singh graced the function as chief guest and Loktak Development Authority chairman M Asnikumar Singh as the guest of honour. The team enjoyed a cultural program, which consisted of Maibi Jagoi, Dholok Cholom, Thang-Ta, Pung Cholom, Kabui Dance, and Ras Leela.

Commenting on their experience of their visit to Manipur, Dr. Kriti S, EBSB nodal officer IIIT Nagpur said that it is the best and once in a lifetime memories and experience in Manipur. She thanked the EBSB team of IIIT Manipur and the director for making the tour a success.

"Culture is not just about entertainment and history, but it is our identity," Prof Krishnan Baskar, the director of IIIT Manipur who presided over the valedictory function said. The EBSB will connect between the NE states and mainland India even more, he confidently said and added “This beginning of person-person communication and exposure of culture by connecting hearts, will lead to the true integration of the country.”

Concluding the exposure tour to Manipur under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB), the Maharashtra team comprising 40 students, three faculties and four student volunteers left leaving Imphal today after a shopping session at the Paona International and EMA Markets.

The Maharashtra team arrived here on February 27 to reciprocate the recent visit of Manipuri students to their state (Maharashtra) under the same EBSB program.

The government of India, had conceptualized an initiative of ‘Yuva Sangam’ under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB) to strengthen people-to-people connect and build empathy between youth of the North-Eastern states and other states of the country.

This program is being organized by the Union ministry of education in collaboration with various other ministries and departments such as culture, tourism, railways, information & broadcasting, youth affairs & sports, home affairs, department for development of north-east region (DoNER) and IRCTC.

As a first initiative in the country, Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh in the presence of the Union minister of state for education & external affairs Dr R K Ranjan Singh, state education minister Th. Basanta Kumar Singh and the director of IIIT-Manipur, Prof. Krishnan Baskar and other dignitaries had flagged-off the first batch of 30 students from the state with three faculty members under EBSB - Yuva Sangam to visit Nagpur- Maharashtra for a period of one week on February 20, 2023 from Imphal.

The Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Manipur is the coordinating institution for the state of Maharashtra.

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EBSE- Yuva Sangam
PRO, IIIT Manipur
Indian Institute of Information Technology Senapati, Manipur
Mantripukhri, Imphal,
India – 795002