In an inspiring initiative aimed at nurturing democratic awareness and leadership among youth, an educational event featuring a ‘Children’s Parliament’ (Pilanka Parliament) was successfully hosted at the Pragativadi office in Bhubaneswar on Friday.
The special program was staged by the students of Mancheswar Industrial Area School inside Pragativadi’s Amrut Mahotsav Hall. Directed by Headmaster Kamadev Mohapatra, the mock parliamentary session captivated the audience with articulate debates, realistic proceedings, and remarkable performances by the young participants.
Students Steal the Show in Key Roles
The children seamlessly stepped into the shoes of parliamentarians and ministers:
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Speaker: Sehnaz Khatun
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Prime Minister: Ankit Panda
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Education Minister: Rakesh Dingal
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Health Minister: Aditya Mishra
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Agriculture Minister: Bhumika Sandil
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Food & Civil Supplies Minister: Reshma Biswal
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Youth & Sports Minister: Bishal Kumar Swain
On the opposing side, Om Prakash Jena impressively led the Opposition, supported by fellow opposition MPs including Swasti Mohapatra, Rosalin Sahoo, Sumitra Tamasay, and Rajlaxmi Paital.
A Day of Learning: Quiz & Printing Press Tour
The parliamentary session was part of a broader educational excursion. Under the talent hunt initiative, a ‘Pragativadi Quiz’ was organised, drawing enthusiastic participation from numerous students.
A major highlight of the visit was the tour of Pragativadi’s printing plant. Students and teachers spent quality time observing modern printing technology in action and had the rare opportunity to witness the live printing of the newspaper. Seeing fresh newspapers come off the press left the young visitors spellbound.
Before the tour, the delegation paid floral tributes to Pradyumna Bal, the founder of Pragativadi, honouring his legacy.
Encouragement and Felicitations
Pragativadi CFO and Director Ramakanta Samantara felicitated the visiting teaching staff. Executive Editor Birupakshya Tripathy lauded the students for their outstanding portrayal in the Children’s Parliament and encouraged them to dream big, aiming to become real-world leaders, prime ministers, and speakers in the future.
The visit was organised under the leadership of Headmaster Kamadev Mohapatra, with guidance from teachers Nirupama Swain, Naliniprabha Sutar, Sujata Mohapatra, Nanditabala Das, Suman Mohapatra, Ritusmita Sethi, and Kaveri Swain. A large cohort of students actively participated and explored various departments of the newspaper house throughout the day.
