Bhubaneswar, Nov 12: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi inaugurated the state-level children’s festival “Suravi-2025” at Capital High School, Unit-3, Bhubaneswar, celebrating the creativity, dreams, and talents of Odisha’s young minds.

Organized by the School and Mass Education Department, the three-day event brings together over 2,400 students, teachers, and more than 1,000 government officials and staff from across the state.

Addressing the gathering, CM Majhi emphasized that Suravi is not just a festival but a vibrant platform for nurturing children’s imagination, innovation, and aspirations. “Children are our future and our hope. Guiding their dreams and talents is our highest priority,” he said.

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Suravi-2025 is aligned with the “NIPUN Odisha-NIPUN Bharat” initiative, offering participation opportunities to students from Classes 1 to 3 at school and cluster levels. The festival features a wide range of activities including competitions, exhibitions, local excursions, science project showcases, workshops, and cultural performances.

During the inaugural ceremony, the Chief Minister visited various student-led exhibitions and honoured top performers in academics and vocational education. Devendra Khamaria (Arts), Sushil Kumar Nayak (Science), Swarna Rekha Mantri (Commerce), and Supriya Sutar (Vocational Education) received cash awards of ₹20,000 each. Additionally, five students were awarded the CM Language Scholarship, and specially-abled students were gifted wheelchairs.

CM Majhi reiterated the state’s commitment to quality education from early childhood to higher secondary levels. He highlighted initiatives like PM-SHRI schools, implementation of the National Education Policy 2020, and the launch of 45,000 child development centres across Odisha. He also announced the appointment of child care workers to support early education.

The Chief Minister proudly shared that Odisha has allocated ₹41,273 crore to education in the current budget, accounting for 14.2% of the total budget and 3.9% of the state GDP — one of the highest in the country.

Suravi continues to be a unique platform for discovering hidden talents among students. CM Majhi encouraged children to dream big, work hard, and contribute meaningfully to nation-building.

The festival will run from November 12 to 14, with students selected from block and district-level competitions participating in the state-level events.