BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said on September 25 that the ideals of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, particularly his philosophy of ‘Integral Humanism’ and the concept of ‘Antyodaya’, form the foundation of a governance system focused on the welfare of all sections of society.
Addressing a special programme organised by the Information and Public Relations Department at Jayadev Bhawan here on the occasion of the 111th state-level birth anniversary celebration of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, the Chief Minister said the government’s primary objective was to ensure that the benefits of development reach the person standing at the last rung of society.
He said the government was committed to building Odisha as a prosperous, self-reliant and self-respecting state.
Deendayal Upadhyaya gave a distinct Indian perspective
Chief Minister Majhi said Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya had opened a new dimension of ‘Indianness’ in Indian political philosophy. Rejecting Western concepts such as capitalism, socialism and communism, he presented an indigenous framework for India, which came to be known as ‘Integral Humanism’.
According to the Chief Minister, Upadhyaya had strongly argued that India’s Sanatan traditions, culture and civilisation were far older than the Western concept of the ‘nation state’.
He said Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya emphasised that human development could not be confined to material prosperity alone. Balanced development of the body, mind, intellect and soul, along with the fulfilment of moral responsibilities, was central to the well-being of human society.
‘Antyodaya’ has regained prominence
The Chief Minister expressed regret that Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya’s far-sighted ideas had remained largely overlooked for several decades after Independence.
He said that after Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office in 2014, the principle of ‘Antyodaya’ had once again gained prominence.
ଭୁବନେଶ୍ୱରସ୍ଥିତ ଜୟଦେବ ଭବନରେ ଆୟୋଜିତ ରାଷ୍ଟ୍ରବାଦୀ ଜନନାୟକ ପଣ୍ଡିତ ଦୀନଦୟାଲ ଉପାଧ୍ୟାୟଙ୍କ ୧୧୧ତମ ରାଜ୍ୟସ୍ତରୀୟ ଜୟନ୍ତୀ ସମାରୋହରେ ଯୋଗଦେଇ ଏହି ମହାନ ଦାର୍ଶନିକ ତଥା ଯୁଗଦ୍ରଷ୍ଟାଙ୍କ ପବିତ୍ର ସ୍ମୃତି ପ୍ରତି ବିନମ୍ର ଶ୍ରଦ୍ଧାଞ୍ଜଳି ଜ୍ଞାପନ କଲି। ପାଶ୍ଚାତ୍ୟ ରାଜନୈତିକ ବ୍ୟବସ୍ଥାରୁ ଊର୍ଦ୍ଧ୍ୱରେ ରହି ଭାରତର ଶାଶ୍ୱତ ସନାତନ… pic.twitter.com/U53W00DwT8
— Mohan Charan Majhi (@MohanMOdisha) September 25, 2026
Referring to the month-long ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’ being conducted across the country on the occasion of the Prime Minister’s birthday, Majhi said health camps, blood donation drives, welfare programmes for the poor, skill development initiatives and cleanliness campaigns were being taken to people at the grassroots.
He said schemes such as Ujjwala, Jan Dhan, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Ayushman Bharat and ‘Make in India’ were contributing towards the vision of Antyodaya and self-reliance associated with Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya.
Focus on welfare and workers’ housing in Odisha
Highlighting the welfare initiatives of the state government, the Chief Minister said the ‘Antyodaya Griha Yojana’ was being implemented for beneficiaries who had been left out of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
He said apartments and hostels were also being constructed for workers in major industrial areas such as Kalinganagar, Jharsuguda, Rourkela, Bhubaneswar, Jagatpur, Keonjhar and Damanjodi under the ‘Deendayal Karmachari Nibasa in Industrial Areas’ scheme.
Schemes for women, farmers and food security
Majhi said around 80 per cent of the state’s population was being provided an additional five kilograms of rice free of cost under the ‘Mukhyamantri Annapurna Yojana’.
He said welfare schemes for women, including the ‘Subhadra Yojana’ and ‘Mukhyamantri Kanya Bibaha Yojana’, were being implemented successfully. He also said the government had envisaged the ‘Mukhyamantri Kanya Sumangal Yojana’, under which financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh would be provided after graduation.
Under the ‘Samrudha Krushak Yojana’, around 19 lakh farmers were receiving Rs 3,100 per quintal for paddy, the Chief Minister said.
He further claimed that investment proposals worth Rs 22.50 lakh crore had been received by Odisha during the last two years and three months.
Babu Singh highlights rural self-reliance
Speaking at the programme, Ekamra-Bhubaneswar MLA Babu Singh highlighted Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya’s philosophy of life, cultural nationalism and the importance of rural self-reliance.
Singh said Upadhyaya was not merely a politician but a visionary who regarded public service as the central responsibility of governance. He said the concept of ‘Antyodaya’ propounded by Upadhyaya continued to serve as a guiding principle for public representatives.
Bringing marginalised and deprived sections into the mainstream and ensuring their economic and social advancement was the essence of nation-building, Singh said.
Scholars underline relevance of Deendayal’s philosophy
Columnist, author and researcher Dr Shiv Shakti Nath Bakshi, while addressing the gathering, described Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya’s philosophy of ‘Integral Humanism’ and ‘Antyodaya’ as an important approach to modern nation-building and social welfare.
Additional Chief Secretary of the Information and Public Relations Department Hemant Sharma and Director Sanjay Kumar Biswal were among the dignitaries present at the programme. Media representatives and members of the public also attended the event.
