COIMBATORE: More than 220 tribal youths from Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha and Bihar visited the district on Wednesday as part of the Union government-sponsored tribal youth exchange programme.
Inaugurating the programme at Bharathiar University, Tamil Nadu information technology minister Mano Thangaraj said it would help the tribal youths to learn various cultures and imbibe good practices from other societies, without losing their regional identity. “The student exchange programme will strengthen the unity among people from different states.”
Mano Thangaraj said the programme would help the tribal youths learn about socio- cultural practices, language and lifestyle of people of other states. Besides the cultural aspect, it would also help them familiarize themselves with technological developments, and education and employment opportunities across the country.
The minister urged the youths to make use of the opportunity to build a bond with their counterparts in other states, interact with top personalities and engage with NGOs, educational institutions and local body representatives.
Organized by Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, the student exchange programme would last till March 20. Coimbatore collector Kranthi Kumar Pati, police commissioner V Balakrishnan and senior officials from Bharathiar University were present at the event.
Later, participating in a conference titled ‘Umagine Catalyst 23’ at KPR Institute of Engineering and Technology, Thangaraj said the state government was racing against time to make Tamil Nadu an information technology hub. “In the next few months, 12,000-odd villages in the state will enjoy high-speed broadband internet. Once the connections are provided, they can enjoy the 235 services provided by the government online.”
In its bid to digitally empower the masses and simplify interaction with people, the information technology ministry was also planning to increase the number of services provided online, he said.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the event at the Bharathiar University, the minister slammed the governor for rejecting the bill banning online gambling. “The governor is duty bound to approve the bill banning online gambling. The DMK government will ensure that online gambling is banned at all costs.”
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