UNION EDUCATION Minister Pralhad Joshi on Thursday launched the registration portal for the fifth edition of the cultural and educational exchange programme ‘Kashi Tamil Sangamam (KTS 5.0)’. The theme of the programme this year is ‘Thirukkural’, a 2,500-year-old Tamil text written by poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar.Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted a Russian translation of Thirukkural to Russian President Vladimir Putin during the BRICS Summit 2026.Thirukkural is a classical Tamil text comprising 1,330 couplets, known as kurals, divided into 133 chapters of 10 couplets each. Written in Old Tamil, the work offers insights into ethics, morality, personal conduct and principles of leading a virtuous life.The KTS programme, to be held from November 28 to December 12, will celebrate, reaffirm and strengthen the age-old civilizational bonds between Tamil Nadu and Kashi, the two ancient seats of learning.Speaking at the launch of the portal, Joshi said that since ancient times, the country has had a strong cultural unity.“Many people visited Kashi and Rameswaram as part of their religious traditions, reflecting the deep-rooted cultural bonds between the northern and southern parts of India. The programme would bring together students, teachers, writers, professionals, agriculturalists, artists, women and spiritual scholars,” he said.He said the educational outreach initiatives would be carried out in higher education institutions to familiarise students with the objectives of Kashi Tamil Sangamam. The programme has played an important role in strengthening national unity and celebrating India’s shared civilisational heritage, said the minister.Story continues below this adAccording to the Ministry of Education, the fifth edition of KTS seeks to bring the timeless ethical and moral wisdom of Thirukkural closer to the youth and learners across the country.“Through educational engagement, multilingual resources and wider public outreach, the programme seeks to encourage reading, understanding and application of universal values as enshrined in the text, in everyday life,” said the minister.Around 1,400 participants from Tamil Nadu, organised into seven groups of around 200 persons each, will undertake an eight-day journey — four days of travel and four days of visits — and structured programmes in places including Varanasi, Prayagraj and Ayodhya, featuring cultural, academic, domain-specific and spiritual engagements.The ministry will also start major initiatives, including a nationwide students’ engagement programme through 1,000 higher education institutions across the country to promote wider understanding of the Thirukkural among students from diverse academic disciplines and linguistic backgrounds.Story continues below this adBesides, Thirukkural experts from Tamil Nadu will visit various schools and colleges in Varanasi and introduce the students to the core values of the text through orientation modules, interactive sessions and quizzes, among others.The National Book Trust, in association with the Rashtriya e-Pustakalaya, will conduct interactive sessions in schools in Varanasi on reading habits, storytelling and creative activities, the ministry said.