Soyong, OP
India is celebrating its 68th Republic Day on January 26 and Orissa POST asked a few youngsters their views about this important day.
Prateechi Parida, a student of Plus III final year in Rajadhani College, Bhubaneswar said, “Dr Rajendra Prasad was chosen as the first President of independent India on this day in 1950. Beginning then, the President of India always hoists the tricolour at the Rajpath in Delhi on Republic Day. The President of India addresses the nation on the eve of Republic Day.”
Amiya Barenya Sahoo, a final year student of Rajadhani College, said, “We celebrate the day by hosting the flag at the college campus and then conduct a meeting where our college Principal and other lecturers talk briefly about the importance of the day.” He believes that if some little-known 
facts about Republic Day are also discussed at such meetings, the students would find it more useful.
Gangotri Acharya of Ramdevi Women’s College said it took Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution, two years and 11 months to draft it. He presented the Constitution on November 26, 1949 but it came into effect on January 26, 1950. That is why we celebrate 26thJanuary as Republic Day. She said that though a lot of things about the freedom struggle are covered in the media, no one has really focused on the unsung heroes behind the making of our Constitution.
Suprava Mohanty of Christ College, Cuttack said, “The first copy of the constitution was handwritten in English and Hindi. And they have kept that copy in the library at the Parliament House, preserved in helium-filled cases.”
Sushant Kumar Parida, a student of the College of Basic Science and Humanities, said, “On Republic Day, bravery awards are presented by the President of India. Veer Chakra, Maha Veer Chakra, Param Veer Chakra, Kirti Chakra and Ashoka Chakra are the honours that are awarded on this day to the deserving citizens of India who have served the nation with exemplary courage.”
A student from a renowned college of Bhubaneswar, who chose to remain unnamed, said, “We don’t discuss the Republic Day much except for the fact that it is a public holiday. Every institution should instruct its students to attend the Republic Day event and take part in discussions on the relevance of the day. In fact, many Indians are unaware of their basic constitutional rights and privileges. Therefore, there is a need to knowmore about the Constitution.”
