Bhubaneswar: The second day of the State-Level Children’s Festival ‘SURAVI-2026’ witnessed a series of engaging activities, including ‘Meet the Personality’, Model Parliament, educational excursions and various cultural and competitive events, providing students with opportunities for learning, interaction and personality development.
As part of the festival, a ‘Meet the Personality’ programme was organised today at Capital High School, Unit-III, Bhubaneswar. Eminent personalities from different fields interacted with students and shared their life experiences, struggles and success stories.
Professor Suryaprakash S. Choudhury, Senior Consultant – Neurologist, SUM Hospital; Ratnamala Swain, Vice-President, DN Group; and Dr. Soumendra Priyadarshi, ADGP, Odisha Police, attended the programme and inspired students through their personal journeys and professional experiences.
Niyati Pattnaik, Director of Higher Secondary Education, delivered the welcome address. The session was followed by an interactive discussion, during which students directly engaged with the distinguished guests and sought insights into their respective fields.
A Model Parliament was also organised as part of the festival to promote democratic values and leadership qualities among students. Through this activity, students gained practical exposure to the functioning of democratic institutions, constructive debate, freedom of expression and the importance of collective decision-making.
Students enthusiastically participated in various cultural, literary and sporting activities, including dance, music and games. On the second day, around 2,500 students were taken on educational excursions to various places of historical, cultural, scientific and institutional importance. The destinations included Nandankanan Zoological Park, Kala Bhoomi, Khandagiri, Dhauli, Tribal Museum, Odisha State Museum, Mission Shakti Bazaar, Anandaban, Odisha Legislative Assembly, Biju Patnaik International Airport and Kalinga Stadium, among others.
Several competitions were organised on the first day of the festival. These included music competitions for students with disabilities, elocution competitions for students from Classes IV to XII, and creative writing and essay competitions for students from Classes VIII to XII. Around 32 students were felicitated with prizes for their performances in various competitions today. Additionally, Swachha Harit Vidyalaya Puraskar has been presented to the headmasters of 20 schools.
