Bhawanipatna: A Plus III second-year Political Science student of Maa Manikeshwari University in Bhawanipatna of Kalahandi district has been selected to represent Odisha at the national-level Viksit Bharat Yuva Parliament 2026.
Smruti Rath, one of only three students chosen from Odisha for the programme, will deliver a speech at the Parliament House in New Delhi during the second week of this month.
She is the daughter of Saroj Ranjan Rath, a police sub-inspector, and Meena Rath, who are residents of the Shantinagar locality of Bhawanipatna. Rath earned her nomination after finishing second in the state-level Viksit Bharat Yuva Parliament competition held March 27 at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
The event drew 150 participants from all 30 districts across Odisha. Competitors spoke on the theme, “The future of the nation can be brightened under the leadership of youth power”.
Her selection has been widely celebrated across Kalahandi district. Rath has a track record of success in competitive oratory at the district and state levels. In 2025, she won the first prize in a state-level speech competition on cybersecurity, earning a cash prize of Rs 25,000.