By Anil Giri
Kathmandu, Nov 1 (IANS): In the line with the announcement made by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the first week of August, the "Bharat-Nepal Shiksha Maitri Karyakram" for Nepalese students pursuing undergraduate and postgraduate courses in various disciplines in Nepal was announced here Saturday.

The programme, fully funded by the Indian government, envisages visits by Nepalese students to prestigious universities of India in batches of about 20 each for four to six weeks, according to the Indian embassy in Kathmandu.

The programme will provide opportunities to the young minds to better understand different facets of life in India and India-Nepal relations. This, in turn, will further promote closer ties and friendly relations between the peoples of the two South Asian neighbours.

The embassy announced that the first batch of students under the Bharat-Nepal Maitri Shiksha Karyakram is leaving for India Saturday itself.

The students are visiting one of the most prestigious and oldest universities of India, Calcutta University, Nov 1-25

The first president of India, Rajendra Prasad, President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President of India, M. Hamid Ansari, and President of Nepal, Ram Baran Yadav, are among the distinguished alumni of this renowned university. The programme will include field trips to places of historical and cultural importance in Kolkata, participation in educational events and interaction with leading local personalities.