The Institute celebrated the auspicious occasion of the Foundation Day of the State today. On this occasion, a programme was organised by the Utkal Dibasa Celebration Committee, NIT Rourkela, in collaboration with the Odia Sahitya Samaj Club (Student Activity Centre, NITR), to commemorate the essence of Utkal Divas. Marking Utkal Divas Year 2023, Prof. K. Umamaheshwar Rao (Director, NIT Rourkela) inaugurated the event with the theme of 'G20 Jan Bhagidari', as India assumed the G20 Presidency this year. NIT Rourkela is one of the ten anchor institutes to get the privilege to host various events to create awareness about the G20 presidency and the relevance of public participation. The institute will organise and coordinate G20 Jan-Bhagidari events for Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, and Bargarh districts as a part of promoting and celebrating India's G20 presidency.

 

The programme started with Pushpanjali to Lord Jagannath and Shraddhanjali Arpan to Utkal Gourav Madhusudan Das, followed by the state song 'Bande Utkala Janani'. The programme organiser, Prof. R.K. Biswal, then briefed on the glory of the state and welcomed all the dignitaries and audience members. Explaining more on this year’s theme, Prof. Rohan Dhiman (Registrar) said, "I feel very proud that I am a part of this land of culture and heritage. The people of Odisha have carried the spirit of inclusiveness and carried the legacy of freedom fighters to move forward. As Odisha is playing a major role in hosting activities for G20 India’s presidency, I urge everyone to participate in this Jan Bhagidari movement and show the world the power of unity of the world’s largest democracy."

Prof. K. Umamaheshwar Rao (Director, NIT Rourkela) extended his greetings on ‘Utkal Divas, encouraged the audience to participate in G20 events, and said; "Thousands of Odissi people have sacrificed their lives to get the freedom that we are enjoying today. It is time to pay back by taking responsibility to analyse the societal problems and then offering a solution through innovative methods. On this occasion of Utkal Divas, I request the youth of Odisha to focus more on incubation and innovation and aim at being job creators to strengthen and boost the regional economy and increase social standards. With the G20 presidency this year, we have a vital role to play as many parts of the world are having a tough time, and this is the opportunity for us Indians to lead the world."

The honourable chief guest, Prof. Basanta Kumar Panda (Project Director, Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Odia Language, Ministry of Education, Government of India), detailed historical reforms and said, "Utkal is our esteemed identity, and my best wishes to everyone on this special day. Today, Odia is the only Indo-Aryan language to have the status of a classical language, and I feel proud to have been a part of the movement to get this status. I am delighted to be here in this multi ethnic institute that has not forgotten its roots and takes pride in celebrating the culture and heritage. I urge the audience to read the work of our Utkal Gourav, Madhusudan Das, so that we may feel the pride of being the sons and daughters of the holy land of Lord Jagannath. Let’s try to preserve the learnings and stories learned from the books and elders."

Guest of Honour Prof. Sanjay Hati (HoD, Odia language, Sushilavati Government College, Rourkela) addressed the audience and said that for him, the entire year is utkal divas, and language spreads the way we use it, and the most common use is by portraying more on big and small TV or theatre screens. Most importantly, communicate with each other in your mother tongue, even if we are in a foreign country.

An alumnus of NIT Rourkela, Mr. Omm Priyadarshi Chhotaray (Treasurer for Youth 20 under G20 India), also joined the event and spoke on the G20-Odisha vision and major things to happen in the state. He pointed out the various ways to join the G-20 events being organised in Odisha. He also urged the youth to take an interest in Paika Akhada (martial arts performed by the people of Odisha) as a part of their sports activities.

The event then had a cultural programme, like Odissi dance, song and poem recitation by the school children and Sambalpuri group dance. An exhibition showing the history, culture, and heritage of Odia land was organised by the Odia Sahitya Samaaja in the RM hall. The event concluded with felicitations to the guests and a vote of thanks by Smt. Swagatika Sahoo (Secretary, Utkal Dibasa Celebration Committee). A talk session by Mr. Prateek Pattanaik (distinguished personality from the fields of history, culture, and literature) was also organised later in the evening by the students of Odia Sahitya Samaja.

JNV Bargarh, KV Rourkela, KV Bondamunda, KV Jharsuguda who were among the institutions supported by the anchor institution NIT Rourkela conducted rallies and campaigns and cultural events to promote G20 awareness amongst the students and the people of the districts. These events were hugely successful, saw participation of over 200+ students, and gained immense praise from the public.

RoM

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