Sanjay Rai, a post-graduate student in Sikkim University, has been selected as one of the eight speakers from the country and lone from the Northeast to deliver a speech in the Parliament during the National Youth Parliament organised by the Union ministry of youth affairs and sports on December 25.

Sanjay, who will be representing the National Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), Namchi, in south Sikkim, will be speaking on the topic “Contributions and philosophy of Sh. Atal Bihari Vajpayee” at the event, which is being organised on a day that also marks the 98 birth anniversary of the former prime minister.

“A total of 25 representatives from 25 different states will be participating, out of which only 8 will be given an opportunity to deliver their speech. It is worth mentioning that he is the only participant from the North-East who will be delivering his speech at the august Parliament House,” said a press release issued on Tuesday.

Sanjay is a former student of Sikkim Government College, Namchi, and is currently pursuing his post-graduation in botany. He has represented Sikkim at various national-level speech competitions in the past, including National-Level Declamation Contest in 2018, National Youth Parliament in 2018 and National-Level Elocution Competition in 2020.

“(It is) Always an honour to represent the state,” said Sanjay on his selection for yet another national-level event.

Central schools

Sikkim Lok Sabha member Indra Hang Subba met Union minister of state for education and external affairs Rajkumar Ranjan Singh in New Delhi on Tuesday and demanded the setting up of more central schools in the Himlayan state.

Subba said he had apprised Singh of the works being undertaken by the Sikkim government to make the state an education hub of the eastern Himalayas by setting up higher institutes of learning. “I also request (sic) him to establish Kendriya Vidyalaya(s) in other districts as well which (will) not only benefit the locals but the families of paramilitary forces posted in the Indo-Nepal border, Indo-China border and Indo-Bhutan border as well,” he said.

Sikkim has two Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs), both in Gangtok district.