A group of school children call on Hansraj Gangaram

A group of 40 school children consisting of 20 girls and 20 boys hailing from remote and far flung areas of Jammu region called on the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Hansraj Gangaram Ahir here today. The students in the age group of 12-18 years are on a Bharat Darshan Tour from 15thJanuary 2017 to 29thJanuary 2017 organized by the Border Security Force (BSF).

Addressing on the occasion, Shri Ahir encouraged the children to strengthen the unity and integrity of the country and carry across the message back home. Pointing out the nefarious designs of the enemy across the borders, Shri Ahir inspired the children to guard against such elements. He hoped the children would excel in academics and sports and asked them to share their experiences with the officials.

Director General, BSF, Shri K K Sharma welcomed the Minister and apprised him of the composition of the group. He informed that Bharat Darshan tour has widened horizons and offers an opportunity to the children to experience the diversities of the nation.

The children then shared their experiences of visits to different historical places and thanked the BSF for organizing tours of this nature. As part of the programme, the children were taken to Mysuru, Bengaluru, Delhi, Agra, Kolkata-Sunderbans and Amritsar. They had an opportunity to enjoy Metro Train ride in New Delhi, as also the pristine beauty of the Taj Mahal.

These children are selected for Bharat Darshan as a part of intensive civic action programme of the force in remote and backward areas of the border. The concept of Bharat Darshan Tours for the children from Jammu & Kashmir was started as an annual feature in the year 2000. The entire expenditure on the tours is met by BSF. This includes Dresses, Travel Expenses, Boarding and Lodging etc.

This tour is conducted to give them insights into the rich historical, cultural and social profile of the country and the progress made in industrial, technological and scientific fields. The tour also aims at inculcating in them a sense of pride for the nation. Till date 1,578 children from J&K have participated in BSF sponsored 57 Bharat Darshan Tours.