Varanasi: Preparations for the fifth edition of Kashi Tamil Sangamam (KTS 5.0) were reviewed at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in Varanasi on November 3. The event will take place from November 28 to December 12, 2026, under the theme ‘Thirukkural Payilvom-Thirukkural Abhyas Karen’.
Deepti Gaur Mukerjee, Secretary of the Department of Higher Education, chaired the high-level review meeting. The discussions focused on administrative arrangements, coordination between departments and preparations involving central and state agencies.
BHU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ajit Kumar Chaturvedi attended the meeting along with Amit Kumar Ghosh, Additional Chief Secretary for Higher Education in Uttar Pradesh. Senior officials from the Union Ministry of Education, state government, district administration, BHU and Indian Railways also participated.
Officials reviewed dedicated rail transport arrangements through IRCTC and other logistics. They also discussed infrastructure, exhibitions, excursions and cultural programmes. Meanwhile, senior Ministry officials inspected on-site and off-site venues, including Namo Ghat, to assess operational readiness.
Kashi Tamil Sangamam brings 1,400 participants to Uttar Pradesh
Around 1,400 participants from Tamil Nadu will take part in the programme. They will be organised into seven groups of about 200 people each. Every group will undertake an eight-day journey, comprising four days of travel and four days of visits and structured activities.
The itinerary will cover Varanasi, Prayagraj and Ayodhya. Participants will take part in cultural, academic, specialised and spiritual engagements during the visits. In addition, 50 teachers from Tamil Nadu will travel to Uttar Pradesh and teach the Thirukkural in schools and colleges.
The fifth edition aims to bring the ethical and moral teachings of the classical Tamil text Thirukkural closer to young people and learners across India. The theme, ‘Thirukkural Payilvom-Thirukkural Abhyas Karen’, reflects this focus on learning and understanding the text.
Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi inaugurated the KTS 5.0 web portal and delegate registration process on October 22, 2026. Furthermore, a nationwide Students’ Engagement Programme will involve 1,000 higher education institutions across the country.
The student initiative will promote wider understanding of the Thirukkural among learners from different academic disciplines and linguistic backgrounds. It will include structured study, research and campus-based activities to spread the text’s teachings and values. Further details are available at www.kts.cict.in.
The Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT), Chennai, is leading digital outreach, publications and institutional engagement. Meanwhile, IIT Madras and Banaras Hindu University will serve as nodal coordinating institutions for Tamil Nadu and Kashi, respectively.
