Sargiful Festival 2025 Inaugurated, Showcasing Talent of SC/ST Students Across Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The much-awaited Sargiful Festival 2025 was inaugurated here on Wednesday by Nityanand Gond, Minister for School and Mass Education, Scheduled Tribe & Scheduled Caste Development, Minority & Backward Classes Welfare, Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities. The three-day state-level festival is being organised under the aegis of the Academy of Tribal Language and Culture (ATLC) of the Scheduled Tribe & Scheduled Caste Development, Minority & Backward Classes Welfare Department.

Senior officials present at the inaugural ceremony included Commissioner-cum-Secretary B. Parameswaran, Additional Secretary Surendra Kumar Meena, Director (SC) Laxman Kumar Mallik, Director (OBC) Jugaleswari Dash and Director, SCSTRTI and Member Secretary, ATLC Sudhakar Sabor.

Addressing the gathering, the Minister said that Sargiful Festival brings hope, joy and inspiration among children and provides a powerful platform to identify, showcase and nurture the hidden talents of Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste students. He noted that many participants of the festival have the potential to represent Odisha at higher levels and excel in diverse fields.

Highlighting the initiatives of the department, the Minister informed that over 5.5 lakh students are currently studying in 1,765 educational institutions and 5,963 hostels across the state. He added that 235 new hostels have been approved for Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Class students. Under the Madho Singh Haath Kharcha Scheme, incentive amounts are being provided to students of Class IX and XI, while the enhancement of pre-matric and post-matric scholarships for SC and ST students is expected to significantly strengthen their educational journey.

In his welcome address, Commissioner-cum-Secretary B. Parameswaran elaborated on the objectives and structure of the Sargiful programme. He said that students and teachers from Ashram Schools, Sevashram Schools, High Schools, Residential Schools and Eklavya Model Residential Schools from all 30 districts are participating in the festival, making it a unique learning and exchange platform for both students and teachers.

On the inaugural day, 10 meritorious SC/ST students who secured outstanding results in the 2025 Class X Board Examination were felicitated by the Chief Guest with certificates, mementoes and books. Sargiful Festival has been organised annually since 2010, progressing from school, block and district levels to the state level, with the aim of fostering creativity, confidence and holistic development among students. This year, as many as 1,160 students from across Odisha are taking part in the state-level event.

As part of Sargiful 2025, a state-level Science Fair has been organised with 40 stalls, involving 80 students and 40 guide teachers. A volleyball tournament with 112 participants will be held at Tapoban High School. In addition, 22 competitions are being conducted across 16 pavilions, covering painting, music, debate, quiz, dance and slogan writing.

The festival will also host 27 workshops on a wide range of creative and skill-based activities such as child journalism, mathematics games, mural art, puppetry, storytelling, glass painting, Chhau dance, poster making and drawing. Through these diverse activities, the three-day Sargiful Festival continues to celebrate creativity, culture and innovation, offering a vibrant platform for young talents of Odisha to grow and flourish.