Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla will inaugurate the National Conference of Chairpersons of the Committees on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes of Parliament and State Legislatures in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, on 29 August 2025. Shri Birla will also inaugurate an Exhibition and release a Souvenir on this occasion.

Chief Minister, Odisha, Shri Mohan Charan Majhi; Union Minister of Tribal Affairs, Shri Jual Oram; Union Minister of Education, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan; Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Shri Harivansh and Chairperson, Parliamentary Committee on Welfare of SC and ST, Dr. Faggan Singh Kulaste will also address the distinguished gathering on this occasion. Chairpersons and Members of Committees on Welfare of SC and ST in Parliament and State / UT Legislatures; Ministers in Government of Odisha and Members in Odisha Legislative Assembly will grace the inaugural event.

Speaker, Odisha Legislative Assembly, Smt. Surama Padhy will deliver Welcome Address and Deputy Speaker, Odisha Legislative Assembly, Shri Bhabani Shankar Bhoi will deliver the Vote of Thanks during the Inaugural Session.

The two-day Conference (29–30 August 2025) will bring together over 120 delegates, including Chairpersons and Members of the Committees on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes from Parliament and State / UT Legislatures. The theme of the Conference is “Role of Parliamentary and Legislature Committees in Welfare, Development and Empowerment of SCs and STs.”

The Conference will conclude on 30 August, 2025 with the Valedictory Address of Governor, Odisha Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati. Lok Sabha Speaker, Shri Om Birla; Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Shri Harivansh; Chairperson, Parliamentary Committee on Welfare of SC and ST, Dr. Faggan Singh Kulaste; Speaker, Odisha Legislative Assembly, Smt. Surama Padhy; Deputy Chief Ministers of Odisha, Shri K. V. Singh Deo and Smt. Pravati Parida will also address the Valedictory Session. Shri Bhaskar Madhei, Chairperson, Committee on Welfare of SC and ST, Odisha Legislative Assembly will deliver Vote of Thanks.

The Conference will deliberate on strengthening constitutional safeguards, enhancing socio-economic development and sharing best practices to empower Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. It will also highlight the pivotal role of Parliamentary and State Legislature Committees in ensuring accountability in implementation of welfare policies, with the vision of realizing an inclusive Viksit Bharat by 2047.

The First Conference of Chairpersons of Committees on the Welfare of SCs and STs was held way back in 1976 in New Delhi. Thereafter, successive conferences have been held in 1979, 1983, 1987and 2001, contributing to robust dialogue on the varied dimensions of welfare and constitutional safeguards for SCs and STs.  However, it is for the first time that such a Conference is being organised outside Delhi.

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