Bhubaneswar: The My India Budget Quest 2026 programme, jointly organised by the Government of India and the Government of Odisha, was held virtually at Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA) University on Monday, bringing together award-winning youth participants from across the country.
The initiative, which included budget-related quizzes and essay competitions, witnessed participation from over 12 lakh young individuals nationwide. Of these, 12,000 were recognised at the national level, including 440 students from Odisha. All 440 awardees from the state attended the programme at SOA University, along with 25 award-winning participants from the Andaman region.
The event featured discussions on youth empowerment, nation-building, and the importance of financial and budget literacy. In his message, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted India’s economic progress, youth empowerment initiatives, and efforts toward building a developed nation.
Joining virtually from Champua, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi described the programme as more than an event, calling it a movement to enhance economic awareness and responsibility among youth. He emphasised the need to introduce students to basic knowledge of economics, banking, and finance at an early stage.
Majhi highlighted key budgetary allocations by the state government, including ₹1,359 crore for sports, ₹1,823 crore for skill development, and ₹1,895 crore for women empowerment. He also announced plans to establish world-class skill development centres in Sambalpur and Berhampur, with training focus on sectors such as IT, agri-tech, artificial intelligence, logistics, and advanced manufacturing.
Stating that Odisha is emerging as a global sports hub, the Chief Minister noted that hosting the 2028 World Indoor Athletics Championship at Kalinga Stadium would be a matter of pride for the state. He added that Odisha has also proposed to host the Asian Indoor Athletics Championship.
The Chief Minister further highlighted initiatives like the PM SETU scheme and state-run programmes such as CM-ASPIRE, Sudaksha, Utkarsh ITI, and Centres of Excellence, aimed at enhancing employability among youth.
Emphasising women’s empowerment, he described the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam as a historic step to strengthen democracy and called upon youth to support the initiative.
During the interactive session, students including Tejaswini Raj, Chandra Prasad Panda, and Omprakash Rath posed questions on women’s role in development, sports, and skill-building, which were addressed by the Chief Minister.
Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya also joined virtually, underscoring the importance of youth participation in achieving the goal of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047. He highlighted the role of the My Bharat platform in shaping the future of young citizens.
Senior officials including Bhupendra Singh Punia, Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Sports Department, Prof. P.K. Nanda, Vice-Chancellor of SOA University, and Sarita Patel, Regional Director of NSS Bhubaneswar, were present on the occasion.
