Chhattisgarh Finance Minister Shri O. P. Choudhary on Sunday urged students to remain determined, believe in themselves and enjoy the journey towards achieving their goals while addressing the valedictory ceremony of COLOSSUS–International Model United Nations and Youth Parliament (IMUNYP) 2026 at Hidayatullah National Law University (HNLU), Raipur.

Recounting his journey from a village in Raigarh district to public service, Choudhary emphasised that perseverance and a positive outlook were essential for success. “When you start enjoying your journey, it becomes easy to achieve your target and goal,” he said. He also highlighted the development of Nava Raipur as an emerging hub for education and healthcare, stressed the need to strengthen educational institutions in Chhattisgarh and described HNLU’s progress as a matter of pride for the state.

National hockey player and Olympic medallist Shri Shamsher Singh, the Guest of Honour, drew on his experience of progressing from Punjab to representing India at the Olympic Games to underline the importance of passion, perseverance and learning from setbacks. “Participating in sports is a winning moment in itself, because you are coming out of your comfort zone,” he said, encouraging students to participate wholeheartedly in sporting and cultural activities while remaining committed to their goals.

HNLU Vice-Chancellor Professor V. C. Vivekanandan, in his opening remarks, underscored the importance of discipline, resilience, fairness and constructive dialogue. Urging participants to carry the lessons of the festival beyond the campus, he said, “Let victory make you gracious, defeat make you wiser, and disagreement make you more thoughtful and not hostile.” He called upon students to uphold the values of sportsmanship, cultural creativity and democratic engagement in their academic and professional lives.

Ms Sanjana Bagher, architect, entrepreneur and State President of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI), Chhattisgarh, also addressed the gathering. She highlighted the role of cultural activities in shaping students’ personalities and developing qualities that extend beyond academic grades.

Held from October 23 to 25, the three-day festival brought together students from across India for competitions and engagements spanning sports, culture, literature, debate and youth diplomacy. The eleventh edition of COLOSSUS saw participation from approximately 1,000 students representing 25 colleges, while the ninth edition of HNLU’s International Model United Nations and Youth Parliament brought together more than 270 delegates.

Welcoming the guests and participants, Professor (Dr.) Deepak Kumar Srivastava, Registrar-in-Charge of HNLU, acknowledged the contributions of the participants, organising committee, volunteers and support staff.

Presenting the IMUNYP report, Secretary-General Rahul Rao Pawar highlighted the quality of research, debate and diplomacy demonstrated by delegates across five committees: the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Vidhan Sabha, Lok Sabha, International Law Commission and International Press. He said the discussions and consensus-building across the committees reflected the traditions of parliamentary debate and diplomatic engagement.

Student Convenor of COLOSSUS 2026 Tanishq Tiwari reported that the festival featured 56 events, comprising 39 sporting, 10 literary and seven cultural competitions. Reflecting on the experience, he said teamwork, encouragement and sportsmanship were among the most memorable aspects of the festival.

In the sporting competitions, HNLU secured first place in six events—futsal, chess, women’s singles table tennis, men’s singles table tennis, table tennis doubles and women’s volleyball—and finished runner-up in football. Kalinga University won the cricket, football, women’s basketball and women’s kabaddi titles, while Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University (DSNLU) secured titles in men’s volleyball, women’s badminton and women’s throwball.

In the cultural and literary categories, Srishti Tiwari won the singing and stand-up comedy competitions, Somesh secured first place in solo dance, and Team Off Campus emerged victorious in the Battle of Bands.

At IMUNYP 2026, the Best Delegate awards went to Pakistan in the United Nations Human Rights Council, Omesh Patel in the Vidhan Sabha, Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha and the United Kingdom in the International Law Commission. Dhanya Basantwani received the Best Photographer award, while Al Jazeera was recognised as Best Reporter in the International Press category.

The festival concluded with the distribution of cash prizes worth more than ₹2.18 lakh, along with cups and trophies, recognising outstanding performances across the various competitions. The ceremony ended with the felicitation of the guests and a vote of thanks by Dr. Avinash Samal, Dean of Student Welfare and a member of the Board of Advisors for COLOSSUS–IMUNYP 2026.

The event reaffirmed HNLU’s commitment to holistic student development by providing a platform for sporting excellence, cultural expression, intellectual engagement, leadership and constructive dialogue. 

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