Bhubaneswar, Sept. 30: The Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition (IHM), Bhubaneswar, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, successfully organised the grand closing ceremony of Hindi Pakhwada-2026 along with the Kavi Sammelan “Hasya Surabhi 2.0” at its main auditorium today.
The programme commenced with the lighting of the lamp and Saraswati Vandana. Shri Sardar Singh Chauhan, Deputy Commissioner, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, Bhubaneswar, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. Shri Narsingh Jethi, Deputy Director General (Programmes), Doordarshan Kendra, Bhubaneswar, attended as the Honoured Guest, while Dr. Debakanta Samal, Registrar, Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar, and Principal Smt. Sharada Ghosh were the Special Guests.
The Rajbhasha Karmaveer Samman was conferred upon Shri Dhananjay Prasad Sharma (Principal, KV-2 Bhubaneswar) in the field of Education, Shri Vikramaditya Singh in Hindi Literature & Library, and Shri Sudhakar Kumar Shahi in Journalism. Certificates and mementos were also presented to staff for outstanding Rajbhasha work and to student competition winners.
The poetic session “Hasya Surabhi 2.0” featured renowned poets Anup Agrawal, Rajesh Chaturvedi, Itishree Singh Rathore, Santosh Das, and stage coordinator Ashish Vidyarthi, who delighted the audience with humour and satire.
IHM Bhubaneswar: Five Decades of Excellence in Hospitality Education & Nation-BuildingEstablished in 1973 as the Food Craft Institute, the institute was upgraded to the State Institute of Hotel Management in 1981 and further elevated to a national-level Institute of Hotel Management by the Government of India in 1984. Today, it stands among the ten oldest Central IHMs in the country and is the only one with a dedicated Incubation Centre.
Over five decades, IHM Bhubaneswar has produced more than 10,000 professionals who are serving the global hospitality industry. Its alumni include Major Padmapani Acharya, Maha Vir Chakra awardee, and heads of more than one-third of the Central IHMs across India. The institute consistently ranks among the top hospitality institutes (India Today, GHRDC etc.) and maintains excellent placements with leading brands such as Taj, Oberoi, ITC, Hyatt and others.
As the Principal Training Partner of the Department of Mission Shakti, Odisha Livelihood Mission, Odisha Millet Mission and the Department of Forest, Environment & Climate Change (Eco-Tourism), the institute actively contributes to skill development and rural tourism initiatives. Through the Hunar Se Rozgar programme of the Ministry of Tourism, it has empowered thousands of youth with employable skills.
In Rajbhasha implementation, the institute was awarded the First Prize by the Town Official Language Implementation Committee in 2025 for exemplary work. The unique Readers Club and Rajbhasha Club continue to promote literary culture among students.
Under the dynamic leadership of Principal Smt. Sharada Ghosh, IHM Bhubaneswar remains committed to excellence in hospitality education, skill development, promotion of Hindi, and supporting national tourism goals.