NIT Rourkela celebrates Jan Jatiya Gaurav Diwas and Constitution Day 2023
Rourkela: This year the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, GOI decided to celebrate the 3rd Jan Jatiya Gaurav Diwas 2023 from 15th November 2023 to 26th November 2023; the last day of which coincides with the Constitution Day 2023. In this regard, the Department of Humanities & Social Sciences, NIT Rourkela organised a series of events like Webinars on tribal development and welfare, protection of the environment, outreach activities, health camp, tribal art exhibition, floral tributes to Bhagwan Birsa Munda and other tribal freedom fighters, and various other competitions during 21-26 November 2023.
Jan Jatiya Gaurav Diwas is celebrated every year to mark the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, the legendary freedom fighter and tribal leader of the country. Culminating all these events, NIT Rourkela organised a programme to commemorate the occasions of the Constitution Day 2023 and Jan Jatiya Gaurav Diwas 2023. The programme was held on 26.11.2023 in the seminar hall of the Department of Humanities & Social Sciences. The event started with reading The Preamble to the Constitution of India. The gathering for the event included students of NIT Rourkela, faculties, invited guests, regional startup members and a few school students of Birsamunda Vidyapith, Jagda, and Rouekela.
The event then followed a brief report on the objectives and activities by Prof. R.K.Biswal of the Humanities and Social Sciences Department who is the Chief Coordinator & Nodal Officer for Tribal Affairs at NIT Rourkela. Prof. Biswal detailed on the valour and legacy of Indian tribal heroes in upholding our freedom and national identity. He further highlighted the contributions of tribal communities in national history and culture, and how they motivate the coming generations for protecting the cultural heritage and national pride.
The chief speaker of the event Prof. Sujit Kumar Mishra (Regional Director, Council for Social Development, Hyderabad) joined the programme virtually. Explaining the need to balance futuristic development with sustainable living he said, “ The balance of earth co-exists between our community and forest lives, we might have forgotten this statement but tribal communities are upholding its roots and living their life according to the rule of nature. Tribal communities often face various vulnerabilities like Land and Resource Displacement, Economic Marginalization, Lack of Education, Health Disparities, Cultural Erosion, Discrimination, Limited Access to Technology etc. Empowering them through Inclusive Policies, Community-Led Sustainable Development and Promoting their Cultural Preservation and Representation may help in overcoming a few hurdles that they face in day-to-day life.”
The programme had a video presentation of two startups run by local tribal residents of Rourkela who are incubated by the Foundation for Technology and Business Incubation (FTBI), NIT Rourkela. Prof. Manoj K Mishra (Head, FTBI) joined the programme and informed the audience about a few startups led by people belonging to tribal communities and how they are promoting sustainability in business by creating natural products.
Prof. Pradeep Sarkar (Director- in charge of NIT Rourkela) applauded the students from the Department of Humanities & Social Sciences for paying homage to the tribal heroes of India by exhibiting paintings and welcoming guests by singing a santhali song. He remembered the efforts of the chief architect of the Indian Constitution Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and said, “This preamble is not just for reading but to adopt its guidelines. The Preamble serves as a reminder to both individuals and institutions about the core values to build an inclusive, and democratic society.”
Joining the event, Prof. A. K. Turuk (Registrar–in–Charge) appreciated the organisers for conducting many programs like visiting nearby schools and organise sessions on ‘Good Nutrition’, and organise medical health camps under the guidance of medical officer Dr. Soumya Ranjan Behara and staff of the institute dispensary.
Further, the occasion was filled with moments of learning as a quiz competition was held during the program followed by awarding of the winners of the painting and essay writing competition. The program concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Neha Soman, assistant professor and the coordinator of the Jan Jatiya Gaurav Diwas 2023 and Constitution Day events at NIT Rourkela.