A lively state-level quiz competition turned into a powerful lesson in empathy and citizenship on Sunday afternoon as college students from across Odisha gathered at Doordarshan Kendra, Bhubaneswar.
Organised under the chairmanship of State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Bratati Harichandan, the event brought together zonal winners to deepen understanding of the rights, challenges and potential of persons with disabilities.
The programme featured teams from five colleges that had earlier excelled in zonal rounds: Rajdhani College, Baramunda (Bhubaneswar); Kuntala Kumari Sabat Women’s College, Balasore; Binayak Acharya Degree College, Berhampur; Sindhedevi Degree College, Nandapur (Koraput); and Hirakud College, Hirakud.
Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation Mayor Sulochana Das attended as chief guest and presented trophies and cash prizes. She honoured the winning pair from Hirakud College — Abhishek Singh and Ritesh Dang — with a trophy and Rs 5,000 each.
Addressing the students, the Mayor offered both encouragement and a larger vision. Those who did not finish first should not lose heart, she said. “Keep working hard. If not today, then tomorrow you will succeed — perhaps as a leader, a minister or an Indian Administrative Service officer. What you have learned today about persons with disabilities can one day be put to use.” She urged participants to treat the quiz not merely as a contest but as an awareness campaign and to spread the message so that persons with disabilities can live with dignity and fully enjoy their rights.
Bratati Harichandan welcomed the gathering and explained the purpose of the initiative. The quiz, she said, aims to create widespread awareness about persons with disabilities and to bring them into the mainstream of society so that every individual can live with honour and equality.
Researcher and quiz conductor Rajkishore Sharma thanked zonal directors, college principals, faculty and students for making the programme a success. He informed the audience that Commissioner Harichandan has been honoured by the President of India for her dedicated work for persons with disabilities. Sharma briefed the contestants on the rules and kept the competition engaging and well-paced.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks from the Commissioner, who expressed hope that the young participants would carry the spirit of inclusion far beyond the studio.
The afternoon at Doordarshan Kendra was more than a quiz. It was a reminder that knowledge, when shared with purpose, can change how a society sees its own members.
