The closing ceremony of Jammu & Kashmir Student Exchange programme ‘Maitreyi Yatra’ was held at National Bal Bhawan here today. The Student Exchange Programme organized by Ministry of Human Resource development provides a good opportunity for the youth of J&K to be acquainted with culture, language and development story of different parts of the country. Union Minister for Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar was the chief guest for the function. Minister of State for Human Resource Development Dr. Satya Pal Singh and Shri Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, Education Minister for Jammu & Kashmir also graced the occasion. Speaking on the occasion Shri Javadekar said the objective of this programme was to integrate the youth of Jammu and Kashmir to the rest of the country and to promote brotherhood and harmony. He applauded the efforts of the students from both the states for actively participating, learning and sharing knowledge with each other. He further congratulated the students of National Bal Bhawan who vacated their rooms for their Kashmiri friends and stayed in their classrooms proving the real spirit of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’.
He added that the government is making a system that will provide equal opportunity to all the students that can contribute to the development of the country. He further assured that 500 children from Delhi Schools will be visiting J&K during summer months. While addressing the event Shri Singh appreciated the students of J&K that they were able to spread the message of love, peace & harmony which even the government efforts might not have done. Education and learning are the most important processes in today's society as today's youth are tomorrow's leaders. Speaking on the occasion Shri Bukhari appreciated the efforts of the HRD ministry and expressed his gratitude for conducting the exchange programme as it will strengthen the social fabric of the country. He added that students from Jammu & Kashmir were given a real hug by the students of National Bal Bhawan.
Nearly 500 students of Jammu & Kashmir from Class IX to Class XII along with 50 supervisors visited Delhi on 18th January, 2018. 300 students stayed at National Bal Bhawan and 100 each stayed in two Kendriya Vidyalayas and two Navodaya Vidyalayas. All 500 students were paired with ten government and one private school where each student had a buddy. J&K students spent 3 days in the paired schools. They also went for Delhi Darshan on 20th January, 2018 with their guiding partners. They visited Zoo, Rajghat, Red Fort and many other places of historical & cultural importance. The students visited Delhi University, IIT Delhi, Railway Museum, Mother Dairy Plant, Metro ride, Movie in PVR-Vasant Kunj, Magic Show, etc. Students also witnessed the grand celebrations of Republic Day. Students performed various cultural songs of Jammu and Kashmir. Some glimpses of the Maitreyi Yatra were also shown on the closing ceremony.