By Aditi Khanna
London, Feb 3: Britain’s Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Edward, began a three-day visit to India on Sunday to celebrate the shared ties between the two countries, Buckingham Palace said in a statement here.
Edward, who is the youngest brother of King Charles III, will travel to Mumbai and Delhi to promote the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award – set up by their late father Prince Philip in 1956.
The award is delivered in India as the International Award for Young People (IAYP), a non-formal education and learning framework supporting young people to “find their purpose, place and passion in the world”.
“His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh is visiting India, from Sunday 2nd February to Tuesday 4th February, to celebrate the shared ties between the UK and India, and champion young people and the benefits of non-formal education,” the palace statement said.
During the visit, he will meet young people undertaking the award, Indian education and business leaders and philanthropists, and join events that celebrate UK-India shared interests in sport and the arts, and how these can be used to support young people to reach their full potential, it noted.
The visit by Prince Edward, who took over the title of Duke of Edinburgh in March 2023, marks the first official UK royal visit to India since Charles visited India in November 2019 – then the Prince of Wales.
Since its inception in India in 1962, the IAYP is said to have helped more than 150,000 students from 325 schools and educational institutions across the country. It is described as the world’s leading youth achievement award, bringing together practical experiences and life skills to create committed global citizens and equipping young people for life.
“It is the finest Experiential Learning Programme in the world of education today and enables young people to find their passion, purpose and place in this world,” an IAYP statement notes.
The IAYP is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) and a full member of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Association.
The award is implemented through Youth Engaging in Society (‘YES’) Centres and Open Award Centres (OAC) primarily consisting of schools and educational institutions. These YES Centres are licensed under an Agreement to implement the award, contributing to the holistic development of young people in India. (PTI)
