By Our Correspondent
SAMBALPUR:Education is not limited to books alone. Learning about our traditions, folklore and cultural values is also an integral part of education, said Union Education Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan through a video message on the occasion of the 18th Dhenkanal District Festival-2026.
While extending greetings on the occasion, Shri Pradhan said that Dhenkanal is not just a district, it is a sacred land of valor and culture. Great personalities like India’s youngest martyr Veer Baji Raut, freedom fighter Baishnab Charan Patnaik, ‘Gandhi from the Palace’ Sarangdhar Das, Mahesh Chandra Subahu Singh, Musa Mallik, Nabakrishna Choudhury, Malati Choudhury and eminent poet Brajnath Badajena have brought glory to this land. From Shivaloka of Kapilas to the natural beauty of Joranda and Saptashaya, the preaching grounds of Mahami Dharma, history is alive in every grain of this land. This festival organized in that district is a shining example of art, culture and pride of Odisha.
The Union Education Minister said that due to the efforts of the double engine government, today’s Dhenkanal is creating a new identity in the field of industry and infrastructure across the country. To promote the sports talent of the youth of the district, ‘Baji Raut Regional Sports Hub’ at a cost of Rs 120 crore and a mega drinking water project worth Rs 1200 crore are being implemented to provide clean drinking water to the people. He expressed confidence that the establishment of central schools in Kamakhyanagar and Hindola will fulfill the dreams of the students and help in building a ‘developed Dhenkanal’.
Emphasizing on the education sector, Shri Pradhan said that under the guidance of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, emphasis is being placed on teaching through ‘mother tongue’, which will help in the intellectual development of the child. The government is giving top priority to skill development so that the youth of Dhenkanal can become ‘wealth creators’ or entrepreneurs themselves, instead of just chasing jobs.
Finally, the Union Minister has called for joining the Prime Minister’s ‘Poshan Abhiyan’ to eliminate child malnutrition. He said, today’s child is tomorrow’s future. The dream of a ‘developed India’ will be realized only when our future generation is physically and mentally healthy. That is why the Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji is giving utmost importance to ‘Poshan Abhiyan’. It is not enough to just educate children, it is the social responsibility of all of us to provide them with nutritious food at the right time. He has requested that efforts should be started from 2026 itself to build ‘developed Odisha’ by 2036 by providing nutritious fruits to the tender-hearted children of schools and anganwadis. He said in his video message that only a healthy child can build a better Odisha and a better India.
