Bhabanipatana: A girl from Kalahandi district will represent India at the International Youth Festival 2026, to be held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, from 11 to 17 September.
She has been identified as Subhalakhsmi Dash, daughter of Sushil Kumar Dash and Rajalakshmi Dash of Ramanagar Pada in Bhabanipatana.
During the festival, Dash will interact and collaborate with young delegates from other countries and take part in cultural exchange programmes.
The festival will bring together about 10,000 young people from 191 countries.
More than 113,000 applications were received worldwide for participation in the event.
Dash will present a project titled “Pragati”, aimed at strengthening youth-level ties between India and Russia.
The project seeks to deepen social and cultural links between the two countries through youth engagement, cultural exchange and people-to-people contact.
Through “Pragati”, Dash also hopes to show how youth diplomacy can complement traditional diplomatic relations and help build long-term understanding and stronger ties between the two nations.
The initiative is envisaged as a possible model for youth-led social and cultural cooperation with other countries in future.
“I see this opportunity not merely as representing a country, but as representing a generation that believes dialogue, culture and mutual understanding can bring countries closer,” Dash said.
“Through ‘Pragati’, my aim is to show how young people can serve as a meaningful bridge between the two countries.”