{"id":23141,"date":"2026-06-20T20:10:40","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T20:10:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/?p=23141"},"modified":"2026-06-20T20:10:40","modified_gmt":"2026-06-20T20:10:40","slug":"kashmirs-intellect-key-to-indias-global-edge-dg-tourism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/2026\/06\/20\/kashmirs-intellect-key-to-indias-global-edge-dg-tourism\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00a0Kashmir\u2019s intellect key to India\u2019s global edge: DG Tourism"},"content":{"rendered":"

Srinagar, Jun 20:\u00a0<\/strong>Kashmir\u2019s centuries-old tradition of intellectual debate, free exchange of ideas and scholarly excellence remains relevant in shaping India\u2019s future as a global knowledge leader, Director General (Tourism), Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, Suman Billa said on Saturday.<\/p>\n

Addressing a gathering here, Billa said Kashmir and Nalanda shared a common heritage as historic centres of learning where diverse streams of thought were encouraged, and intellectual discourse thrived.<\/p>\n

Referring to remarks made by Padma Shri Shafi Shauq, Billa said the strength of great civilisations lies in their ability to accommodate differing viewpoints and challenge established ideas.<\/p>\n

\u201cKashmir has historically been a fertile ground for discussion, debate and the free flow of ideas. Like Nalanda, it stood as a confluence of intellectual traditions that advanced human understanding and enriched society,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The DG Tourism said the dialogue between Kashmir and Nalanda was not merely symbolic but reflected a deeper civilisational connection rooted in scholarship, learning and cultural exchange.<\/p>\n

Highlighting Kashmir\u2019s literary heritage, he said the Valley occupies a unique place in India\u2019s intellectual history as the birthplace of \u2018Rajatarangini\u2019, one of the earliest and most authoritative historical chronicles in the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven today, Rajatarangini provides context and perspective for understanding Kashmir. It reflects the depth of intellectual and literary traditions that have evolved in this land over centuries,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Billa further said that while political systems, economies and technologies continue to change, literature remains timeless because it captures enduring human experiences and emotions. “Literature and travel serve similar purposes by helping people understand places, cultures and societies beyond their immediate surroundings,” he said.<\/p>\n

Drawing a link between tourism and cultural understanding, Billa said travel broadens perspectives and fosters peace by enabling meaningful interaction between communities.<\/p>\n

Quoting Mahatma Gandhi\u2019s belief that travel is \u201cthe language of peace\u201d, he said greater people-to-people engagement helps build mutual respect and strengthens social harmony.<\/p>\n

Billa also said the world was entering an era where creativity, culture and knowledge would become more important than industrial advancement alone. \u201cIn a rapidly changing world driven by artificial intelligence and the democratisation of knowledge, India can stand tall by drawing strength from its intellectual heritage, including institutions such as Nalanda and the great schools of thought that emerged from Kashmir,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The DG Tourism said India\u2019s rich civilisational legacy provides a strong foundation for future leadership and stressed the need to connect the country’s diverse intellectual traditions into a coherent knowledge framework.<\/p>\n

Expressing confidence in India\u2019s rise on the global stage, Billa said the coming decades would belong to nations capable of harnessing the power of ideas, culture and knowledge, adding that India was uniquely positioned to lead that transformation\u2014(KNO)<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Srinagar, Jun 20:\u00a0Kashmir\u2019s centuries-old tradition of intellectual debate, free exchange of ideas and scholarly excellence remains relevant in shaping India\u2019s future as a global knowledge leader, Director General (Tourism), Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, Suman Billa said on Saturday. Addressing a gathering here, Billa said Kashmir and Nalanda shared a common heritage as historic […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":23142,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23141","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23141","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23141"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23141\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23143,"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23141\/revisions\/23143"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23142"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23141"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23141"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23141"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}