Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Abhiyan, Objectives, Implementation, Impact

Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB) is a flagship Government of India initiative launched to strengthen the spirit of national integration through sustained people-to-people engagement across States and Union Territories (UTs). By pairing different States/ UTs for cultural, linguistic, educational, and touristic exchange, the Abhiyan seeks to celebrate India’s unity in diversity and promote mutual understanding. This initiative fosters long-term cooperation, helping citizens appreciate cultural pluralism while reinforcing national cohesion.

Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Abhiyan

Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (translated as “One India, Best India”) is a structured scheme initiated by the Government of India, first mooted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 31st October 2015, on Rashtriya Ekta Divas (National Unity Day), commemorating Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. 

Under this programme, all 36 States and UTs are paired for a year-long engagement cycle, during which the paired regions collaborate across multiple domains- culture, language, literature, cuisine, festivals, tourism, sports, and more. The Ministry of Education, along with other Central ministries such as Culture, Tourism, Youth Affairs, Sports, Home Affairs, and Railways, coordinates the activities. 

Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Abhiyan Objectives

The key objectives and ambition of the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Abhiyan has been listed below:

1. National Integration: Promote a sense of shared identity by connecting citizens of different states through cultural and linguistic exchange.
2. Cultural Exchange: Facilitate people-to-people contact to appreciate each other’s traditions, art, festivals, and cuisine.
3. Tourism Promotion: Encourage tourism by showcasing the tourist heritage of paired states.
4. Educational Linkages: In schools and colleges, students participate in inter-state exchanges, promote bilingual learning, and share best practices.
5. Sustainable Engagement: Maintain long-term relationships between regions, leveraging both government and community participation.

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Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Abhiyan Process

Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat pairs states/UTs in specific combinations, ensuring cultural and geographic diversity in each pairing. Some of the notable pairings include:

• Jammu & Kashmir & Ladakh paired with Tamil Nadu
• Andhra Pradesh with Punjab
• Himachal Pradesh with Kerala
• Maharashtra with Odisha, Goa with Jharkhand, and Delhi with Sikkim

These pairings rotate and evolve, with activity calendars jointly prepared by the paired regions for year-long engagement. 

Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Abhiyan Components

Under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Abhiyan, the following key domains of interaction are promoted:

1. Cultural Exchange: Joint celebrations of festivals, cultural performances, dance, music, and arts from paired states.
2. Educational Exchange: Schools and colleges adopt art-integrated projects, inter-state student visits, and language-learning activities. Over 2.5 crore students have participated in EBSB activities at school level (2022) and 3.8 lakh EBSB clubs have been formed across CBSE, KVS, NVS, and other schools.
3. Sports Exchange: Sporting events between paired states, such as roll ball, handball, etc., to foster friendly competition.
4. Tourism & Cuisine: Promotion of tourism through inter-state travel and showcasing local cuisines.
5. Literary & Linguistic Exchange: Literary competitions, language workshops, and book translation to deepen mutual appreciation.
6. Governance and Best Practices Sharing: Paired states exchange governance models, development strategies, and administrative innovations.

Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Abhiyan Implementation

The Revised Guidelines (August 2025) for Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Abhiyan in schools emphasize a structured, measurable implementation. 

• Monitoring: District Education Officers act as nodal officers to collect data on monthly activities and upload reports to the EBSB portal.
• Reporting: Schools collect photos, short videos, and reports of events, and upload them.
• Central Oversight: The Department of School Education & Literacy and Central Ministries jointly review paired-state activities annually. 

Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Abhiyan Impact

Since the inception of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Abhiyan, it has shown several impacts and outcomes as:

• All 36 States/ UTs have been paired for inter-state engagement. 
• In 2022, about 2.5 crore students participated in school-level EBSB activities. 
• 3.8 lakh EBSB clubs have been created across CBSE, KVS, NVS, and other schools.
• The Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT) organizes orientation courses under EBSB to train teachers and cultural ambassadors, aligning with NEP-2020. 
• Youth Engagement: In 2025, the national integration camp in Tripura was conducted under the EBSB theme, promoting leadership, cultural exchange, and social harmony among young Scouts & Guides. 

Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Abhiyan Achievements

Since its implementation the EBSB Abhiyan has shown several achievements:

1. Strengthened National Unity: By pairing regions with very different languages and cultures, EBSB fosters empathy, understanding, and respect.
2. Educational Enrichment: Through peer learning and shared cultural projects, students understand the diversity of India and build a pan-Indian identity.
3. Youth Leadership: Sporting and cultural exchanges empower young people as ambassadors of national integration.
4. Linguistic Preservation: Exchange programs encourage the appreciation of regional languages, helping preserve linguistic heritage.
5. Cultural Tourism: Encourages states to promote their tourism circuits based on cultural ties, boosting the economy and tourism.
6. Institutionalization: EBSB is embedded in the education system (school clubs, reporting system) ensuring sustainability.

Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Abhiyan Challenges

Despite several advancements and progress, the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Abhiyan faces several criticism and challenges:

• Sustaining Engagement: Once-yearly pairing may not build deep, sustained relationships; there is a risk of tokenistic cultural exchanges.
• Unequal Participation: Not all States/UTs may have the same capacity or enthusiasm to engage, especially in remote or less-resourced areas.
• Measurement of Impact: While activity numbers are tracked, measuring true attitudinal change (unity, understanding) is harder.
• Digital Divide: Uploading reports, photos, and data requires digital access; remote schools may lag in participation.
• Overlapping Programmes: With many government programs, EBSB’s identity sometimes overlaps with other integration schemes, diluting focus.

Way Forward:

• Deepening Partnerships: Encourage long-term “twinning” projects between paired states beyond one year, including shared infrastructure, youth forums, and governance models.
• Enhanced Monitoring & Evaluation: Develop impact metrics (surveys, attitudinal studies) to assess change in national integration, not just event participation.
• Inclusive Participation: Provide additional support to under-resourced states/UTs (funding, digital tools) to ensure full engagement.
• Digital Strengthening: Expand the EBSB portal to include mobile-friendly reporting, virtual exchanges, and virtual cultural tours.
• Synergies with Other Schemes: Align EBSB with NEP-2020, Aman Bharat, and tourism promotion schemes to maximize synergy and policy coherence.
• Youth Mentorship: Launch cross-state youth leadership programs to nurture long-term ambassadors who will carry forth national integration.

Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Abhiyan UPSC

Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat is more than a symbolic initiative; it is a structural attempt to weave India’s rich diversity into a cohesive national identity. By pairing States and UTs and promoting systematic cultural, educational, and social exchanges, EBSB creates a platform for India’s citizens to understand each other deeply. In an era of rapid change and global uncertainty, such initiatives help build a more unified, resilient, and inclusive India.

• In August 2025, the Ministry of Education issued revised EBSB guidelines to strengthen school-level coordination and digital reporting mechanisms.
• At the Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam 2025, under the NEP-2020, the Bhasha Sagar App was launched to facilitate multilingual learning across India as part of EBSB.
• Cultural events under EBSB continue in 2025: The National Integration Camp in Tripura emphasized youth participation and inter-state mutual understanding.