Kashi Tamil Sangamam 2025 focuses on “Learn Tamil – Tamil Karkalam”, promoting cultural exchange between Kashi and Tamil Nadu. Discover initiatives, participants, and government support in this unique integration programme.
Kashi Tamil Sangamam 4.0 scheduled from 2 December 2025 — Bridging North-South India through language and culture
The fourth edition of the Kashi Tamil Sangamam (KTS) is set to begin on 2 December 2025 and run through 15 December 2025.The event celebrates the deep and historic civilisational, cultural, linguistic and people-to-people linkages between the ancient northern city of Varanasi (Kashi) in Uttar Pradesh and the southern state of Tamil Nadu.
Theme for 2025: “Learn Tamil – Tamil Karkalam”
This year’s KTS bears the theme “Learn Tamil – Tamil Karkalam”, underscoring a renewed effort to spread the learning and appreciation of the Tamil language across India. The event aims to encourage linguistic unity and cultural understanding under the broader vision of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.
Organisers and Institutional Support
The programme is being organised by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, with the coordination of IIT Madras and Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi. Several ministries and agencies, including those of Culture, Tourism, Textiles, MSME, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, and the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), along with the Government of Uttar Pradesh, are supporting the endeavour.
Who will participate
More than 1,400 delegates from Tamil Nadu are expected to take part in KTS 4.0. The participants represent a broad cross-section of society, including:
- Students
- Teachers
- Writers and media professionals
- Individuals from agriculture and allied sectors
- Professionals and artisans
- Women participants
- Spiritual scholars and practitioners
What to expect: Tours, Learning & Cultural Exchange
The 2025 edition promises an immersive cultural and linguistic exchange. Delegates will engage in an eight-day experiential tour spanning key cities such as Varanasi (Kashi), Prayagraj, and Ayodhya. Activities include seminars, cultural performances, heritage site visits, and exposure to local cuisine, handicrafts, and traditions.
Important planned initiatives under KTS 4.0 include:
- A symbolic cultural journey named the Sage Agasthya Vehicle Expedition from Tenkasi (Tamil Nadu) to Kashi, retracing ancient civilisational routes and highlighting Tamil heritage, classical literature, and traditional knowledge systems such as Siddha medicine.
- “Tamil Karpom / Tamil Karkalam” campaign to teach Tamil in Kashi: 50 Hindi-knowing Tamil teachers will be posted in schools in Kashi to teach Tamil to local students.
- A reverse exposure tour: About 300 college students from Kashi will travel to designated institutions in Tamil Nadu for a 15-day Tamil-language learning programme, including academic and cultural immersion.
Why this News is Important
Promoting National Integration through Language and Culture
In a multilingual country like India, initiatives like KTS 4.0 carry significant value. By encouraging young people from different linguistic backgrounds to learn languages such as Tamil, the event fosters cultural empathy, unity, and national integration. For aspirants of national-level exams (civil services, defence, railways, banking), awareness of such efforts is essential — because exam questions often test understanding of government schemes, cultural integration initiatives, and constitutional values like unity in diversity.
Enhancing Awareness of India’s Civilisational Heritage
Kashi and Tamil Nadu are two of the oldest centres of Indian civilisation — with deep roots in spiritual, literary, and scholarly traditions. KTS 4.0 reconnects these traditions, reminding citizens and future public servants of the shared cultural legacy. Given that many exams (like UPSC, State PSCs) include questions on Indian culture, history, and values, knowledge about such schemes strengthens general awareness and exam readiness.
Reflecting Government’s Soft-Power and Cultural Diplomacy Emphasis
The event reflects how the government leverages language, heritage, and cultural exchange — not just politics or economy — to strengthen national solidarity. For banking, railways, defence or civil-service aspirants, such awareness reflects comprehension of broader socio-cultural policies beyond their direct domain.
Relevance for Diverse Exam Categories
Because participants include students, teachers, media professionals, artisans, and more, KTS 4.0 shows cross-sectoral government engagement. Aspirants for positions in education, civil services, public sector undertakings, railways, culture ministries, etc., may find direct relevance — both in policy awareness and future responsibilities.
Historical Context
The concept of the Kashi Tamil Sangamam emerged in 2022 under the aegis of the Ministry of Education, driven by the vision of national integration and cultural resurgence. The inaugural event was formally inaugurated by Narendra Modi in November 2022.
Since then, KTS has aimed to revive the age-old civilisational connections between Kashi (Varanasi) and Tamil Nadu — two of India’s oldest seats of learning, spirituality, literature, and culture.
Over successive editions, the Sangamam has grown in both scale and ambition. The first edition had thousands of participants from Tamil Nadu across various walks of life. The initiative aligns with the broader national programme Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and the ethos of “Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat,” emphasising unity in diversity across linguistic and regional lines.
By 2025, with KTS 4.0, the programme has matured to include not only cultural tours but also active Tamil-learning modules for non-Tamil speakers, symbolic pilgrimages and expeditions celebrating ancient cultural routes, and reciprocal exposure for students from northern India to Tamil Nadu — thereby deepening national unity and heritage awareness.
Key Takeaways from This News
| S. No. | Key Takeaway |
|---|---|
| 1 | Kashi Tamil Sangamam 4.0 will be held from 2 December to 15 December 2025, uniting Kashi and Tamil Nadu through cultural exchange. |
| 2 | The theme for 2025 is “Learn Tamil – Tamil Karkalam”, aimed at promoting Tamil language learning nationwide. |
| 3 | Over 1,400 delegates from Tamil Nadu across diverse segments — students, teachers, media professionals, artisans, women, spiritual scholars — will participate. |
| 4 | The edition includes major initiatives like the Sage Agasthya Vehicle Expedition, Tamil-teaching assignments in Kashi schools, and a 15-day Tamil-learning tour for 300 college students from Kashi to Tamil Nadu. |
| 5 | KTS 4.0 — like earlier editions — is an example of the government’s effort to strengthen national unity, cultural integration, and mutual understanding among diverse linguistic communities, aligning with the spirit of Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat. |
FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is Kashi Tamil Sangamam 4.0?
Kashi Tamil Sangamam 4.0 (KTS 4.0) is the fourth edition of a cultural and linguistic exchange programme connecting Kashi (Varanasi) in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. It aims to promote mutual understanding, heritage, and the Tamil language among participants.
2. When will Kashi Tamil Sangamam 4.0 be held?
The event is scheduled from 2 December 2025 to 15 December 2025.
3. What is the theme of KTS 4.0?
The theme is “Learn Tamil – Tamil Karkalam”, focusing on teaching and popularising Tamil among non-Tamil speakers.
4. Who are the main participants of KTS 4.0?
Over 1,400 delegates from Tamil Nadu will participate, including students, teachers, media professionals, artisans, spiritual scholars, and women participants.
5. Which organisations are organising and supporting KTS 4.0?
The Ministry of Education is the main organiser, with support from IIT Madras, Banaras Hindu University, Government of Uttar Pradesh, and other ministries including Culture, Tourism, Textiles, MSME, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, and IRCTC.
6. What are some major initiatives in KTS 4.0?
- Sage Agasthya Vehicle Expedition retracing ancient routes between Tamil Nadu and Kashi.
- Tamil-language teaching in Kashi schools by Tamil teachers.
- 15-day Tamil-learning tour for 300 Kashi college students to Tamil Nadu.
7. Why is KTS important for students preparing for government exams?
It reflects the government’s policies on cultural integration, linguistic diversity, and national unity, which are commonly asked topics in exams like UPSC, PSCs, banking, railways, and defence services.
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