Bhubaneswar: The second day of the State-Level Children’s Festival ‘SURAVI-2026’ witnessed a series of activities aimed at promoting creativity, leadership, democratic values and overall personality development among students.
A major highlight of the day was the ‘Meet the Personality’ programme organised at Capital High School, Unit-III, Bhubaneswar, where eminent personalities from different fields interacted with students and shared their life experiences, challenges and success stories.
Professor Suryaprakash S. Choudhury, Senior Consultant-Neurologist at SUM Hospital; Ratnamala Swain, Vice-President of DN Group; and Dr Soumendra Priyadarshi, ADGP, Odisha Police, attended the programme and motivated students through their professional journeys. Director of Higher Secondary Education Niyati Pattnaik delivered the welcome address.
The session was followed by an interactive discussion, allowing students to directly engage with the guests and seek insights into their respective fields.
A Model Parliament was also organised to familiarise students with democratic institutions and parliamentary proceedings. The activity provided them an opportunity to understand democratic values, constructive debate, freedom of expression and collective decision-making while developing leadership qualities.
Around 2,500 students participated in educational excursions to various places of historical, cultural, scientific and institutional importance across Bhubaneswar. The destinations included Nandankanan Zoological Park, Kala Bhoomi, Khandagiri, Dhauli, Tribal Museum, Odisha State Museum, Mission Shakti Bazaar, Anandaban, Odisha Legislative Assembly, Biju Patnaik International Airport and Kalinga Stadium, among others.
Students also enthusiastically participated in various cultural, literary and sporting activities, including dance, music and games.
Several competitions had been organised on the opening day of the festival, including music competitions for students with disabilities, elocution contests for students from Classes IV to XII, and creative writing and essay competitions for students from Classes VIII to XII.
Around 32 students were felicitated with prizes for their performances in various competitions on the second day. Additionally, the headmasters of 20 schools received the Swachha Harit Vidyalaya Puraskar in recognition of their efforts.
The festival aims to provide children with a platform to showcase their talents, exchange ideas and gain exposure beyond the classroom through a combination of educational, cultural and extracurricular activities.
