TNI Bureau: Odisha witnessed an atmosphere of patriotism and unity as more than 21 lakh students from over 16,000 educational institutions across the state participated in a mass rendition of Vande Mataram to mark National Youth Day, observed on the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.

The programme was conducted simultaneously at 11 am in government and private schools, colleges and universities across Odisha. Students, teachers and staff members joined together in the collective singing of the national song, symbolising unity and respect for the nation.

The statewide event was jointly organised by the Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department, the Higher Education Department, the School and Mass Education Department, and the Sports and Youth Services Department of the Government of Odisha. The coordinated effort ensured smooth participation across urban and rural areas of the state.

Higher Education, Sports and Youth Services, and Odia Language, Literature and Culture Minister Suryabanshi Suraj expressed happiness over the successful conduct of the programme and termed it a historic occasion. He said the collective participation of the youth in singing Vande Mataram reflected Odisha’s deep-rooted patriotic spirit and the commitment of young people towards the nation. He also congratulated all educational institutions, students, teachers and staff members for making the programme a success.

To ensure effective and uniform participation, the state government had earlier organised a statewide Vande Mataram Training Programme. Odisha was divided into five zones for this purpose. The Jeypore Zone included Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Kalahandi and Nuapada districts; the Brahmapur Zone covered Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Boudh and Nayagarh; the Balasore Zone comprised Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak, Keonjhar and Jajpur; the Sambalpur Zone included Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Deogarh, Bargarh, Balangir and Subarnapur; and the Bhubaneswar Zone covered Khordha, Cuttack, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Dhenkanal and Angul districts.

Under this initiative, zonal-level training programmes were conducted, followed by training sessions at the district, municipal and block levels. These preparations helped ensure disciplined participation and the smooth execution of the mass singing programme.

The event concluded successfully across Odisha, with lakhs of students taking part, making National Youth Day celebrations a memorable and meaningful occasion.