‘Advika Barta’ Creates Platform for Adolescents to Engage Directly with Odisha Govt

Bhubaneswar: Creating a platform for young voices to be heard in governance and policymaking, Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida on Tuesday participated in ‘Advika Barta’, a statewide dialogue initiative that brought adolescents from across Odisha into direct conversation with policymakers and administrators.

Organised jointly by the Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights and UNICEF under the ‘A Day for Children’ initiative, the programme was held during Raja Parba and focused on encouraging meaningful adolescent participation in public discourse and decision-making.

The event connected adolescent girls and boys associated with Advika groups across the state through a hybrid format. While selected participants attended in person at the Convention Centre in Bhubaneswar, representatives from all 30 districts joined virtually in the presence of district administrations and local officials.

Over the course of the two-hour interaction, participants spoke openly about issues affecting their lives and communities. Topics ranged from access to quality education and personal safety to gender equality, child rights, health, leadership opportunities, skill-building and future aspirations. Adolescents also shared ideas and recommendations to strengthen existing government programmes for young people.

Responding to their questions and suggestions, Parida said the government remains committed to ensuring that adolescents are not only beneficiaries of development initiatives but also active participants in shaping them. She encouraged young people to take leadership roles in their communities and assured them that their perspectives would contribute to future policy discussions.

The Deputy Chief Minister noted that initiatives such as ‘Advika Barta’ create opportunities for constructive engagement and help institutions better understand the expectations and challenges faced by adolescents across diverse regions of the state.

The programme was attended by Babita Patra, Chairperson of the Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights; Prasanta Dash, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Odisha; Ms. Sovana Mohanty, Chairperson of the Odisha State Commission for Women; and other officials.

The session was also streamed digitally, enabling wider public engagement and highlighting the importance of empowering adolescents to participate in conversations around governance, rights and social development.