A high-level meeting to review the preparatory arrangements and inter-agency coordination for Kashi Tamil Sangamam 5.0 (KTS 5.0) was held at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, on Nov 3, 2026. Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Smt. Deepti Gaur Mukerjee chaired the Meeting.
Vice-Chancellor, BHU, Prof. Ajit Kumar Chaturvedi; Additional Chief Secretary (Higher Education), Uttar Pradesh Government, Shri Amit Kumar Ghosh; senior officials from the Union Ministry of Education, the State Government, the district administration, BHU and the Indian Railways, attended the Meeting, along with other key stakeholders.
During the Meeting, discussions were held on inter-departmental and district-level administrative coordination; dedicated rail transport arrangements by IRCTC and other logistics; infrastructural facilities; exhibitions; excursions; cultural programmes to be organised as part of KTS 5.0, etc. Senior officials of the Ministry also visited onsite and offsite venues including Namo Ghat to assess operational readiness.
The fifth edition of KTS is scheduled to be held from November 28 to December 12, 2026 on the theme ‘Thirukkural Payilvom- Thirukkural Abhyas Karen’. KTS 5.0 seeks to bring the timeless ethical and moral wisdom of the classical Tamil text Thirukkural closer to the youth and learners across the country.
As part of the Programme, around 1,400 participants from Tamil Nadu, organized into seven groups of around 200 persons each, will undertake an eight-day journey comprising four days of travel and four days of visits and structured programmes. The itinerary will include visits to Varanasi, Prayagraj and Ayodhya, featuring cultural, academic, domain-specific and spiritual engagements. 50 teachers from Tamil Nadu will also visit Uttar Pradesh and teach Thirukkural in schools and colleges during KTS 5.0.
The web portal and the delegate registration process for KTS 5.0 were inaugurated by Union Minister for Education Shri Pralhad Joshi on 22 October 2026.
A nationwide Students’ Engagement Programme will also be undertaken through 1,000 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across the country to promote wider understanding of the Thirukkural among students from diverse academic disciplines and linguistic backgrounds. The Initiative will include structured study, research and campus-based activities for wider dissemination of the teachings and values of the Thirukkural. The details are available at www.kts.cict.in.
The Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT), Chennai, is spearheading digital outreach, publications, and institutional engagements, while IIT Madras and Banaras Hindu University are serving as the nodal coordinating institutions for Tamil Nadu and Kashi, respectively.