Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi officially launched the registration portal for the fifth edition of the Kashi Tamil Sangamam (KTS 5.0) on Thursday. This cultural and educational exchange programme, which is set to take place from November 28 to December 12, aims to celebrate and reinforce the historical civilizational bonds between the ancient learning hubs of Kashi and Tamil Nadu. The theme for this year’s edition is dedicated to the 'Thirukkural,' a foundational Tamil text authored by the poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar over 2,500 years ago.
During the launch, Minister Joshi emphasized the long-standing cultural unity that has defined India since ancient times. He noted that the deep-rooted connections between the northern and southern parts of the country were historically reflected in the religious traditions of pilgrims who traveled between Kashi and Rameswaram. According to the Ministry of Education, the event is designed to bring together a diverse group of participants, including students, teachers, writers, professionals, agriculturalists, artists, women, and spiritual scholars to engage in structured cultural and academic activities.
The central focus of the fifth edition, the 'Thirukkural,' consists of 1,330 couplets—known as kurals—organized into 133 chapters. The text is widely recognized for offering profound insights into morality, ethics, and the principles of leading a virtuous life. The significance of this ancient wisdom was recently highlighted when Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted a Russian translation of the Thirukkural to Russian President Vladimir Putin during the 2026 BRICS Summit.
The ministry stated that the KTS programme seeks to make the universal values found within the text more accessible to youth and learners across the nation. Through a series of educational outreach initiatives, the programme intends to foster a deeper understanding and application of these ethical principles in daily life. This will be supported by multilingual resources and public outreach efforts coordinated by higher education institutions nationwide.
A core component of the upcoming event involves the participation of 1,400 individuals from Tamil Nadu. These participants will be divided into seven groups of roughly 200 people each. Their eight-day itinerary includes four days of travel and four days dedicated to site visits and specialized programmes. Participants will explore locations such as Varanasi, Prayagraj, and Ayodhya, engaging in a mix of spiritual, domain-specific, and academic activities.
In addition to these visits, the government is rolling out a nationwide students’ engagement programme spanning 1,000 higher education institutions. This initiative aims to familiarize students from various academic and linguistic backgrounds with the core values of the Thirukkural. Experts in the classical text from Tamil Nadu are also scheduled to visit schools and colleges in Varanasi, where they will conduct orientation modules, interactive sessions, and quizzes to introduce students to the philosophy of the work.
Furthermore, the National Book Trust, in collaboration with the Rashtriya e-Pustakalaya, plans to host interactive sessions in local schools in Varanasi. These sessions are set to focus on encouraging reading habits, storytelling, and creative activities, ensuring that the legacy of the Kashi Tamil Sangamam reaches a broad audience of students. By connecting the youth with ancient civilizational heritage, the ministry hopes to continue strengthening national unity through these ongoing educational efforts.
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