Kashi Tamil Sangamam 5.0 to Focus on Thirukkural

The fifth edition of Kashi Tamil Sangamam (KTS 5.0) is scheduled from November 28 to December 12, 2026. Its theme, “Thirukkural Payilvom – Thirukkural Abhyas Karen”, means “Let’s Learn Thirukkural” and focuses on the ethical and moral values of the classical Tamil text.

Thirukkural: Structure and Themes

The Thirukkural is a classical Tamil work attributed to the poet-philosopher Thiruvalluvar. It comprises 1,330 couplets arranged in 133 chapters. The work is divided into three sections: Aram, dealing with virtue; Porul, covering wealth, polity and social life; and Inbam, concerning love. Its concise couplets address ethics, governance, family life and human conduct. KTS 5.0 aims to enable 1,000 students, with one student selected from each of 1,000 participating institutions across India, to study the Thirukkural in their own language.

Organisation and Student Programme

The Ministry of Education is the nodal ministry, while the Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT), Chennai, is implementing the edition. IIT Madras and Banaras Hindu University (BHU) are the nodal and coordinating institutes for the Tamil Nadu and Kashi sides, respectively. The programme includes a one-month internship for selected students, with a stipend of ₹10,000. Activities include video lecture series, research paper writing and campus presentations on the Thirukkural. Institution registration ran from October 15 to October 22, 2026, through the CICT portal.

Portal and Registration

Union Minister of Education Shri Pralhad Joshi launched the KTS 5.0 web portal and registration on October 14, 2026, at 5:00 PM. The portal was used for institutional registration ahead of student selection.

Important Facts for Exams

• The Thirukkural contains 1,330 couplets across 133 chapters.
• Aram, Porul and Inbam are the three sections of the Thirukkural.
• The Central Institute of Classical Tamil is based in Chennai.
• IIT Madras and Banaras Hindu University coordinate the Tamil Nadu and Kashi sides of KTS 5.0, respectively.

KTS 5.0 is scheduled to run for 15 days, from November 28 to December 12, 2026. The student internship is planned for one month and carries a stipend of ₹10,000.