Attended the award ceremony organized by Happy Movements of India on 23rd March 2026 at Jayadev Bhawan, Bhubaneswar, as the Guest of Honour. The meeting was presided over by Dr. Rajendra Panda, President of Happy Movements of India. I had the privilege of sharing the dais with the Chief Guest, Shri Debi Prasanna Pattanayak, along with other distinguished guests including Dr. Ajit Kumar Mohapatra, Adimata Kalpana, and Arjuna Awardee Minati Mahapatra, among others.
Shri Debi Prasanna Pattanayak (born 14 March 1931) is an eminent Indian professor, linguist, social scientist, and distinguished author. He is the founder-director of the Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysore, and has also served as the Chairman of the Institute of Odia Studies and Research, Bhubaneswar. In recognition of his outstanding contributions, he was awarded the Padma Shri in 1987.
He played a significant role in the inclusion of the Bodo language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India and was instrumental in the efforts that led to Odia being recognized as a Classical Language.
Lokanath Mishra IRS (rtd), International Director, The Happy Moments of India 🇮🇳
