25 June:The 9th Know India Programme (KIP) for Diaspora youth is scheduled to be held in August, 2008. Earlier known as Internship Programme for Diaspora Youth (IPDY), it is a three-week internship programme for Diaspora youth conducted by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs with a view to promote awareness on India, its socio-cultural diversity, its all round development, its emergence as an economic powerhouse, it being a centre of higher education and the ongoing developments in various fields including infrastructure, Information technology etc.
The participants from countries having larger population of People of Indian Origin are selected based on recommendations made by Indian Missions/ Posts abroad. They are provided with full hospitality and are reimbursed one-way economy class airfare from their respective country to India.
The Programme is organized in partnership with one of the State Governments. The Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) are the organizational partners. Particulars of previous IPDY/KIP are given below:
Period | Participants | ||
1st IPDY | 20 December 03 to | 19 | |
2nd IPDY | 27 December 04 to | 29 | |
3rd IPDY | 22 August to | Uttaranchal | 24 |
4th IPDY | Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh | 22 | |
5th IPDY | 15 May to | Himachal Pradesh | 25 |
6th KIP (Gr. 1) | Kerala | 30 | |
6th KIP (Gr. 2) | 03 January to | Rajasthan | 23 |
7th KIP | 29 August to | 29 | |
8th KIP | Tamil Nadu | 34 |
The content of the programme include; Visit and stay at a University/College/Institute, activities related to youth to be organized by NYKS, Visit to Industry, Visit to a village, Exposure to Indian media and Film Industry, Presentations on the country, the constitution, political process etc, Interaction with NGOs and/or organizations dealing with women affairs, Calls on high dignitaries, which may include President, Ministers of OIA, Youth Affairs and Sports, Women and Child Development, Visit to places of historical importance/Monuments, cultural events.