Yi Bhubaneswar celebrates Yuva Utsav-2024

Bhubaneswar: Social leaders have shared their experiences of volunteerism as the Bhubaneswar Chapter of Young Indians (Yi), a youth wing of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), celebrated Yuva Utsav-2024 at SOA Auditorium here on Friday.

Presenting a keynote address as Guest of Honour, Additional Director General of Police (CIDCB), Odisha Arun Bothra said goodness spreads faster. Volunteering can make you feel happier and give you a sense of purpose & fulfillment. “When you volunteer for a good cause, you feel happiness inside you, even though you did not do it for your sake. That’s the beauty of volunteering — it brings out that happiness and spreads it,” he said.

Sharing his experiences and online platform IndiaCares, Bothra said launched during Covid-19 pandemic, the initiative has touched thousands of lives across the country. From medicine and food distribution to other medical aid, volunteers of IndiaCares stood hand-in-hand to enable their fellow countrymen to access critical healthcare and survive. The success stories are galore. Everyday the good Samaritans are working on the ground overnight to address the panic messages, he said.

Speaking on a session titled Volunteering as Way of Life, Editor of Dharitri & OrissaPost Tathagat Satpathy defined the basic meaning of the term ‘volunteer’. “By taking part in someone’s initiative as a volunteer, you feel happy and it encourages others to do the same. Plants are life, and what you do for the environment reflects on you, and has an impact on you,” he said while highlighting the Dharitri’s Climate Change and Youth Conclave initiatives.

On a satire note, he said that even cow vigilantes who assault and kill vehicle drivers are claiming themselves as volunteers. Hence, the meaning and practice of volunteerism in India has different perspectives altogether, he added. 

Founder of Swabhiman Shruti Mohapatra, Founder of Humara Bachpan Trust Dharitri Patnaik and Founder of Bakul Foundation Sujit Mahapatra also spoke. The session was moderated by Chair of Yi Bhubaneswar Sonal N More.

In the second session on Entrepreneurship as Way of Bharat Building, Managing Director of Kunj Alloys and Chairman RITE College Vineet Gupta, Business Leader and Director of Maithan Ispat Ltd. Amit Gupta, Director of Ashwini Group of Hospitals Soma Devi Dash and Director of Seetal Bio Industries Mandar Bhowmick shared their thoughts and ideas. Similarly, Founder of SDB Creatives Sachin Das Burma and Director of Utkal Builders Ltd. Sharad Baid debated on the topic ‘Creating Connections: The Power of Authentic Branding’.

In the fourth session titled Youth in Politics, Cuttack Barabati MLA Sofia Firdous, Balasore MLA Manas Kumar Dutta and Bhatli MLA Irasis Acharya urged young minds to join politics for a developed India. The session was moderated by IT Head of BJP Odisha Swayam Baral.

Swami Gyanvatsal, a religious leader affiliated with the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, also gave a motivational talk encouraging the youth to align personal growth with the collective welfare of society. The enthusiastic participation of students from 14 colleges and universities across Odisha showcased the increasing momentum of youth engagement in addressing societal challenges.