Bhubaneswar: More than 10 lakh students participated in debate and painting competitions organised across over 48,000 schools in Odisha under the state government’s Seva Sankalpa Abhiyan, the School and Mass Education Department said on Monday.
The state-level programme was held at Government High School, Unit-I, in Bhubaneswar, with School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond attending as the chief guest.
The competitions were organised on the theme “Mo Swapna ra Bharat” (My Dream India) to encourage students to express their vision of a developed nation through creative and intellectual activities.
Addressing the programme, Gond appreciated the students’ participation and said their artwork reflected their aspirations for a developed India.
Ekamra-Bhubaneswar MLA Babu Singh, Central-Bhubaneswar MLA Ananta Narayan Jena, Ward No. 40 Corporator Asiya Begum, department Commissioner-cum-Secretary N. Thirumala Naik, Special Secretary Durga Prasad Mohapatra and State Project Director (in-charge) of the Odisha School Education Programme Authority (OSEPA), Sangeeta Behera, were among those present.
Naik, in his welcome address, said 12.5 lakh students, parents, community members, teachers and other stakeholders had participated in the campaign across schools in all 30 districts of Odisha.
The competitions were conducted in phases at the school, block, district and state levels. An exhibition of students’ drawings was also organised to showcase their creativity and ideas.
At the state-level event, 180 students participated in the competitions, of whom 18 outstanding performers were felicitated for their achievements in drawing and speech competitions across three categories.
Speaking on the occasion, Singh called upon students to draw inspiration from the ideals of previous generations to contribute to the development of Odisha. He expressed confidence that their participation would support the state’s progress across sectors. Jena also congratulated the students and appreciated the department’s efforts.
The Seva Sankalpa Abhiyan seeks to promote creativity, civic responsibility and a spirit of service among students while encouraging them to contribute to the vision of a developed India and a developed Odisha.
