Renowned columnist and academic Professor Biswaranjan emphasised that newspapers remain the most reliable source for understanding the collective problems of society, unlike social media which often highlights only individual grievances.
Speaking at the launch event of the Pradyumna Bal Prativa Vikash Pratiyogita brochure held at Pragativadi Library on Thursday evening, Prof. Biswaranjan stated that while the government is increasingly using platforms like WhatsApp and Twitter to hear public complaints, this approach is limited to personal issues. He urged that social media should not be the sole medium for governance.
He stressed that newspapers present a broader picture of the state’s conditions, future risks, and systemic weaknesses. Through articles and columns, writers often highlight administrative failures and governance challenges, which the government must pay attention to.
The event also marked the announcement of the online competition, scheduled from September 15 to October 15, targeting students from schools, colleges, and universities across Odisha. Prof. Biswaranjan was appointed as the chairperson of the evaluation committee for this year’s competition, following predecessors Prof. Manindra Kumar Meher and Prof. Dhaneswar Sahu.
The results will be declared on November 5, and winners will be felicitated at a state-level celebration on November 8. Lalitendu Pattnaik, chief coordinator of the Prativa Bikash Committee, shared detailed insights about the program’s expansion across districts like Nayagarh, Bhadrak, Kendrapada, and Jagatsinghpur.
The event was coordinated by Manoranjan Das, with Kamalakanta Senapati expressing gratitude to district representatives. Guests were welcomed by Khageswar Khandual, and the program was conducted by Sashibhusan Sahu and Jagannath Padhi. A musical invocation was performed by Manmohan Nayak and Nimai Charan Nanda.
