Students, teachers, and staff from more than 16,000 educational institutions across Odisha on Monday participated in a massive collective rendition of ‘Vande Mataram,’ commemorating the 150th anniversary of the iconic national song composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.
The grand-scale event was jointly organised by the state’s Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department; Higher Education Department; School and Mass Education Department; and Sports and Youth Services Department.
Institutions under the jurisdiction of the Skill Development and Technical Education Department also actively joined the state-wide programme.
This celebration follows a unanimous resolution recently adopted by the State Assembly, which called for a state-wide observance to honour 150 years of the patriotic composition of ‘Vande Mataram’.
While Commerce and Transport Minister B.B. Jena estimated that over 50 lakh people participated in the mass singing, an official statement from the Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department placed the official count at more than 21 lakh.
In addition to the mass rendition of the national song, participants observed National Youth Day by taking the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Swadeshi Sankalp’ pledge, committing to the vision of a self-reliant India.
In a post shared from his X handle, Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj, said, “One time, many places; One vibe, the song of the nation! Today is definitely a historic moment! On the occasion of National Youth Day, in the year of celebrating 150 years of the composition of ‘Vande Mataram’, the sound of patriotism is resounding in educational institutions across Odisha.”
“My warmest congratulations and gratitude to all the educational institutions, students and teachers who made this grand event a success,” Suraj said.
The event was held simultaneously at 11 am across the state.
Several institutions shared photographs and videos on social media platforms, while some also organised quizzes and debate competitions as part of the celebrations.
At Utkal University in Bhubaneswar, students, faculty members and staff participated in the collective singing in the presence of Vice-Chancellor Prof Jagneshwar Dandapat and PG Council chairperson Mitali Chinara. The participants also took the Atmanirbhar Bharat Swadeshi Sankalp pledge.
