Birla applauds Odisha teen’s take on equality in Parliament

Bhubaneswar: In the social-media era, where everyone has something to say, only a few manage to strike a chord. Swayam Pragnyan Samantaray (18) is one of them.The undergraduate’s thought-provoking speech on B R Ambedkar during the leader’s 136th birth anniversary celebration on the Parliament Complex in New Delhi on Tuesday drew appreciation from Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.Samantaray, a first-year computer science student at Rama Devi Women’s University, spoke about the inequalities that persist in Indian society and questioned what became of the equality enshrined in law by Ambedkar, India’s first law minister and chairman of the constitution’s drafting committee. “What exactly did we do with this equality? Because today, in one corner of India, schools are being closed because women from lower castes are serving midday meals. In another, tea is served in different cups depending on people’s economic status, and there are classrooms where students sit separately based on differences,” she said.Birla took to social media, writing, “Equality was written into law by Babasaheb and it must be reflected in everyday life. The powerful words of Swayam Pragnya Samantaray from Odisha emphasised the need to uphold dignity, justice and equality in everyday life.”She has also been creating content since last year but with a difference.“I have grown up consuming infotainment on social media and enjoyed it. So, when I entered university last year, I wanted to create content on issues that matter to society, be it geopolitics, environment or education. Most importantly, I want people to form their own opinions, because these days people consume news but quickly forget it,” said the award-winning debater, who is a recipient of the Governor’s Award, and participant in Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2026.She was among 12 youths from across the country chosen to share their thoughts on Ambedkar. She represented Odisha’s Higher Education department after selection through a competition organised by Programme for Research on International Development and Education, an initiative of the Lok Sabha Secretariat. It provides parliamentarians, staff and others with structured training in parliamentary institutions, processes and procedures.