Overview

• About 200 delegates from Parliament and 19 states convened after the inauguration by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in the presence of Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and senior Union leaders.
• Birla urged committees to operate above party lines, review allocations for SCs and STs, and tailor recommendations to changing needs in education, employment and social welfare.
• He voiced concern over shrinking space for discussion, decorum and constructive dialogue in Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and state assemblies, underscoring committees’ accountability role.
• Sessions focus on strengthening constitutional safeguards, evaluating scheme implementation and sharing best practices under the theme of welfare, development and empowerment of SCs and STs.
• An exhibition of Odisha arts was inaugurated and a souvenir released, with cultural programmes and heritage visits to the Konark Sun Temple and Jagannath Temple scheduled for delegates.