Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], September 6 (ANI):  Forty-four meritorious BTech students from engineering colleges of Himachal Pradesh have left for the Japan International Exposure Tour-2026 with Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and extending his best wishes.  

The international exposure tour is being organised from September 6 to 12, by the Department of Technical Education. It is the second international exposure tour being organised by the department. 

Earlier, an international exposure tour to Kazakhstan was organised for ITI students, providing them an opportunity to familiarise themselves with international skill-development practices and global vocational education systems.

Sukhu said meritorious BTech students are now being provided international exposure, establishing a continuous pathway of global exposure from skill education to higher technical education.

He said that a total of 44 meritorious BTech students from different engineering disciplines, including 24 boys and 20 girls are part of the Japan tour. During the visit, the students will tour leading academic, research and industrial institutions, including Tokyo Metropolitan University, JAXA Tsukuba Space Center, Cyberdyne Robotics Studio, JAL Aerospace Factory, Kyocera Factory and various industries in Osaka. The visit will provide students with first-hand exposure to space technology, robotics, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, innovation and modern transportation systems.

The Chief Minister said that the programme will also enable students to understand Japanese discipline, heritage, work culture and technological ecosystem, besides promoting cultural exchange. He said the initiative reflects the state government's commitment to providing meritorious youth with global exposure, enhancing their employability and fostering innovation and technological excellence.

Addressing the students, the Chief Minister said that after the Congress government assumed office, special emphasis had been laid on providing students with exposure to new ideas, technologies and global practices.

He said that meritorious students from government schools had earlier been sent to Cambodia for an exposure visit, while ITI students were sent to Kazakhstan. He said that the state government had also initiated the process of sending students of medical colleges abroad for exposure visits, and the selection process had already commenced.

Sukhu said that the students would return from Japan with new experiences and greater confidence. Sharing a personal experience.

'When I was a university student, I travelled to Delhi for the first time, whereas you are going to Japan today. There is a lot to learn from Japan. It has excellent educational institutions and is also located in an earthquake-prone region. Despite being prone to earthquakes, Japan has made remarkable progress,' he said.

The Chief Minister said that the state government was taking several decisions aimed at making Himachal Pradesh self-reliant. Himachal Pradesh is a beautiful state and the government's initiatives were steadily moving the state towards greater self-reliance, he noted.

Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani, who was virtually present with the students, said that the Japan exposure visit would be a lifetime experience and provide them with an opportunity to learn new things. He said the students had been selected strictly on merit and around 650 applications had been received from five engineering colleges across the state.

He said Japan was a global leader in technology and expressed confidence that the students would learn not only about advanced technologies but also about discipline and social values from the people of Japan.

Principal Secretary, Technical Education, Abhishek Jain was also present on the occasion. (ANI)