India is a unique nation, whose fabric has been woven by diverse linguistic, cultural and religious threads, held
together into a composite national identity by a rich history of cultural evolution, coupled with a rousing freedom
struggle that was built around the tenets of non-violence and justice. The spirit of mutual understanding amidst a
shared history has enabled a special unity in diversity, which stands out as a tall flame of nationhood that needs to
be nourished and cherished into the future.
The idea of a sustained and structured cultural connect between denizens of different regions was mooted by Prime
Minister Shri Narendra Modi during the Rashtriya Ekta Divas held on 31st October, 2015, to commemorate the birth
anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Hon’ble Prime Minister propounded that cultural diversity is a joy that ought
to be celebrated through mutual interaction & reciprocity between people of different States and UTs so that a
common spirit of understanding resonates throughout the country.
The broad objectives of the initiative are as follows
i. To CELEBRATE the Unity in Diversity of our Nation and to maintain and strengthen the fabric of traditionally
existing emotional bonds between the people of our Country;
ii. To PROMOTE the spirit of national integration through a deep and structured engagement between all Indian
States and Union Territories through a year-long planned engagement between States;
iii. To SHOWCASE the rich heritage and culture, customs and traditions of either State for enabling people to
understand and appreciate the diversity that is India.
iv. TO ESTABLISH long-term engagements and,
v. TO CREATE an environment which promotes learning between States by sharing best practices and experiences.
To take forward EBSB events in IIM Ranchi, this chapter was held on 18 th March, 2018. This edition of Ek Bharat
Shrestha Bharat was organised to celebrate the cultural diversity of Uttar Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and
Meghalaya. The programme commenced with a welcome speech by Prateek Gupta, Senior Executive Member,
Cultural Committee, IIM Ranchi, who conveyed the importance of EBSB initiatives to the gathering. A Quiz
competition was organised to spread awareness of above states among the students of the institute. The
competition received a good response from the students and they participated enthusiastically in the event.
Ashwathy from PGDHRM 2017-19 batch stood first in the quiz with maximum number of correct answers. Akshay
Seth from PGDHRM 2017-19 concluded the event with a vote of thanks.