**Executive Summary**
This document reports on Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia's interaction with the 11th batch of students participating in the Ashtalakshmi Darshan Youth Exchange Programme, held at Sikkim University from February 9th to 22nd, 2026. The program is designed to promote national integration by facilitating youth exchange between different regions of India. The program will envisage a total of 1280 students in 32 batches, and as of February 2026, 471 students are part of the program.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Programme Overview:**
* Ashtalakshmi Darshan is a Youth Exchange Programme organised and funded by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region through NEC.
* Aims to deepen national integration and strengthen bonds between young people.
* Promotes youth engagement, cultural appreciation, and understanding through immersive visits, academic sessions, heritage tours, and community interactions.
* **Current Batch (Batch 11):**
* Conducted at Sikkim University from February 9th to 22nd, 2026.
* Includes 22 students from Chandigarh and 15 students from Tamil Nadu.
* **Minister's Interaction:**
* Minister Scindia interacted virtually with the students.
* Urged students to uphold the spirit of 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat'.
* Highlighted tourism potential in Northeast India, particularly Sikkim.
* **Programme Statistics:**
* Overall participation of 1280 students is envisaged in 32 batches.
* Up to now, 390 students have participated across ten batches, and 81 are currently participating in the two batches underway.
* The annexure shows a list of all the previous Batches, host states, visiting states and students, and guides.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Students**
* **Impact**: Experiencing a cultural and educational exchange, deepening their understanding of Northeast India and national integration.
* **Action Required**: Share their experiences and learnings with family and friends.
**Stakeholder: Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region / NEC**
* **Impact**: Successful implementation of the Ashtalakshmi Darshan Youth Exchange Programme.
* **Action Required**: Continue supporting and funding the program to achieve its objectives.
**Stakeholder: Sikkim University**
* **Impact**: Hosting and facilitating the exchange program.
* **Action Required**: Continue providing necessary resources and support for the program.
Key Entities Referenced
Ashtalakshmi Darshan Youth Exchange Programme: A Youth Exchange Programme designed to deepen national integration and strengthen bonds between young people from different regions of the country.
Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region: The ministry that organizes and funds the Ashtalakshmi Darshan Youth Exchange Programme.
Sikkim University: Location of the 11th batch of the Ashtalakshmi Darshan Youth Exchange Programme.
Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat: An initiative under which Ashtalakshmi Darshan functions as a unique cultural and educational exchange.
Ministry of Development of North-East Region
Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia interacts with
11th batch of Ashtalakshmi Darshan Youth
Exchange Programme students
Students from Tamil Nadu and Chandigarh explore Sikkim
under the programme, till now 471 students have participated
from across the country
Ashtalakshmi Darshan is a Youth Exchange Programme
designed to deepen national integration and strengthen
bonds between young people from different regions of the
country
Minister Scindia urged the participating students to uphold
and carry forward the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’
Posted On: 20 FEB 2026 6:45PM by PIB Delhi
Union Minister of Communications and Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya Scindia today
virtually interacted with the 11th batch of students participating in the Ashtalakshmi Darshan Youth
Exchange Programme. The batch is being conducted at Sikkim University from 9th to 22nd February, 2026
with the participation of 22 students from Chandigarh and 15 students from Tamil Nadu. The session was
also attended by the Secretary, MDoNER, Joint Secretary, MDoNER, Registrar (I/C), Sikkim University,
Gangtok, and other officials of North Eastern Council (NEC).The Ashtalakshmi Darshan programme, a Youth Exchange Programme organized and funded by the
Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region through NEC, has been designed to deepen national
integration and strengthen bonds between young people from different regions of the country. The
programme envisages mutual understanding and cementing the cooperative spirit. It promotes meaningful
youth-to-youth engagement, cultural appreciation, and mutual understanding through 14-day immersive
exposure visits, academic sessions, heritage tours, and local community interactions.Overall, participation
of 1280 students in 32 batches from 28 states/UTs is envisaged under the programme, for visiting and
experiencing North Eastern States. So far, 390 students from different states have participated in the
programme across the earlier ten batches. Currently 81 students are taking part in the two batches
underway. (See Annexure.)
Union Minister mentioned how the programme was designed to promote equal participation of boys and
girls, reflecting a clear commitment to inclusivity and empowerment. He described Ashtalakshmi Darshan
as a unique cultural and educational exchange under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat initiative, that connects
youth from rest of India with the eight Northeastern states, helping them experience the region’s
languages, traditions, and way of life while deepening a sense of unity in diversity. Speaking about
tourism in Northeast India, he added that the sector holds immense potential and can create opportunities
for people across the region. He also pointed to the vast tourism prospects in Sikkim.
During the interaction, Union Minister asked several students about their experiences and learnings. Ms.
Keerthana P from Tamil Nadu said it was wonderful opportunity and offered meaningful real-life learning.
Mr. Ansari A, a differently abled student from Tamil Nadu, expressed gratitude to the Ministry of
Development of North Eastern Region for the opportunity. About her overall experience of this
programme, Ms. Rajanpreet Kaur, from Chandigarh said that she feels deeply honoured to be a part of this
programme and underlined that environment and development goes hand in hand in Sikkim.
In his closing remarks, Union Minister praised the students’ enthusiasm and urged them to share their
experiences widely with their family and friends about the people, traditions, and natural beauty of
Sikkim, and carry forward the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’. He expressed hope that they wouldreturn home with many stories about the State’s rich culture and heritage. The vision of Prime Minister
Shri Narendra Modi through the Ashtalakshmi Darshan Youth Exchange Programme is to help students
experience the authentic culture, people, and traditions of Northeast India.
The Ashtalakshmi Darshan Exchange Programme stands as a testament to the government’s commitment
to promoting cultural integration, youth engagement and national unity. It continues to reflect the essence
of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat and the shared vision of a co-prosperous Viksit Bharat 2047.
A riveting interaction with the bright young minds of Batch 11 of the Asthalakshmi
Darshan Youth Exchange Program at Sikkim University, bringing together
students from Tamil Nadu and Chandigarh in the beautiful state of Sikkim.
With nearly 400 young participants already part of… pic.twitter.com/zvxh8GphN0
— Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (@JM_Scindia) February 20, 2026
Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region,
Shri @JM_Scindia, today virtually interacted with the Batch 11 of the
Asthalakshmi Darshan Youth Exchange Program at Sikkim University, bringing
together students from Tamil Nadu and Chandigarh in the… pic.twitter.com/B7zV
9fDnUC
— MDoNER India (@MDoNER_India) February 20, 2026
Annexure:Ashtalakshmi Darshan Youth Exchange Program at a Glance
Batches Completed-(total participants:390)
Batch From To Host Institute Host State Visiting State(s) Students Guides
1 1- 14- Rajiv Gandhi Arunachal Goa(19), 39 4
Nov- Nov- University Pradesh Uttarakhand(20)
25 25
Andhra Pradesh(20),
2 15- 28- IIT Guwahati Assam Himachal 40 4
Dec- Dec-
Pradesh(20)
25 25
3 17- 30- NIT Nagaland Nagaland Jammu&Kashmir(21) 21 2
Dec- Dec-
25 25
Punjab(19),
4 03- 16- NIT Nagaland Nagaland Daman&Diu& 39 4
Jan- Jan-
Dadra Haveli(20)
26 26
Andhra Pradesh(20),
5 04- 17- TripuraUniversity Tripura Karnataka 40 4
Jan- Jan-
(20)
26 26
6 05- 18- NIT Manipur Manipur Uttar Pradesh(19) 19 2
Jan- Jan-
26 26
Andaman& Nicobar
7 15- 29- Mizoram Mizoram Island(20), 40 4
Jan- Jan- University
Lakshadweep(20)
26 26
8 20- 03- NIT Agartala Tripura Bihar(17),Gujarat(20) 37 3
Jan- Feb-
26 26
9 01- 14- IIM Shillong Meghalaya Odisha(20),Delhi(20) 40 4
Feb- Feb-
26 2610 01- 14- Nagaland Nagaland Kerala(20),Ladakh 40 4
Feb- Feb- University (20)
26 26
Ongoing Batches(totalparticipants:81)
11 09- 22- Sikkim Sikkim Chandigarh(20), 35 2
Feb- Feb- University Tamil Nadu(15)
26 26
12 15- 28- Rajiv Gandhi Arunachal Pondicherry(20), 40 4
Feb- Feb- University Pradesh Jharkhand(20)
26 26
***
PS
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