NIT Rourkela hosts 17th Odisha Environment Congress from November 3, with 300 delegates
By TUF News Desk · Published 2 November 2026 · 3 min read
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More than 300 scientists, researchers, policymakers and students will gather at the National Institute of Technology Rourkela from November 3 to 5 for the 17th Odisha Environment Congress. The three-day conference takes environment and technology as its theme, and it will look at how technical solutions can answer environmental problems facing Odisha and the rest of the country.
The details were announced at a press conference at NIT Rourkela on October 30. Prof. Himanshu Bhushan Sahu, chairman of the local organising committee and the institute’s SDG committee, spoke alongside Sudarsan Das, organising secretary of the Odisha Environment Congress, and Prof. Bibekanand Mallick, who chairs the institute’s press and public relations committee.
What is on the agenda
The programme runs across nine technical sessions, with more than 70 research papers and posters due to be presented. The sessions bring together people who work on climate change, biodiversity, environmental protection and sustainable development, and the discussions are meant to connect research with what governments, industry and communities actually do.
Gokul Chandra Pati, former Chief Secretary of the Government of Odisha, will inaugurate the congress on November 3. Prof. K. Umamaheshwar Rao, Director of NIT Rourkela, will preside over the inaugural session. Dr. Mrinal Kanti Biswas of the Central Pollution Control Board in Kolkata and Prof. Aditya Patra of the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur will deliver keynote addresses.
Four awards for work in environmental protection, scientific research, corporate responsibility and youth engagement are also part of the programme.
The focus this year stays close to questions Odisha deals with every year. Climate change, biodiversity conservation and the protection of natural resources are on the agenda, along with sustainable development and the practical use of technology to protect those resources. That mix is why the delegate list cuts across research, policy and industry, rather than staying inside one field.
A day for younger participants
November 4 is set aside for the Children’s and Youth Environment Congress. School and college students will take part in debate, essay writing, painting and other competitions, and an Environment Parliament will give young participants a platform to argue environmental questions themselves. For students thinking about research as a career, a conference of this size is a practical way to see what current work looks like outside a textbook, and which questions researchers are actually trying to answer.
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Those planning to attend should check the official NIT Rourkela website for the final programme and venue details before travelling.
Frequently asked questions
When and where is the 17th Odisha Environment Congress?
It runs from November 3 to 5, 2026, at the National Institute of Technology Rourkela, on the theme Environment and Technology.
How many delegates and sessions are planned?
More than 300 delegates are expected, with nine technical sessions and over 70 research paper and poster presentations.
Who will inaugurate the congress?
Gokul Chandra Pati, former Chief Secretary of the Government of Odisha, will inaugurate it, with NIT Rourkela Director Prof. K. Umamaheshwar Rao presiding over the inaugural session.
Is there anything for school and college students?
Yes. The Children’s and Youth Environment Congress on November 4 includes debate, essay writing, painting and other competitions for young participants.
Frequently asked questions
When and where is the 17th Odisha Environment Congress?
It runs from November 3 to 5, 2026, at the National Institute of Technology Rourkela, on the theme Environment and Technology.
How many delegates and sessions are planned?
More than 300 delegates are expected, with nine technical sessions and over 70 research paper and poster presentations.
Who will inaugurate the congress?
Gokul Chandra Pati, former Chief Secretary of the Government of Odisha, will inaugurate it, with NIT Rourkela Director Prof. K. Umamaheshwar Rao presiding over the inaugural session.
Is there anything for school and college students?
Yes. The Children's and Youth Environment Congress on November 4 includes debate, essay writing, painting and other competitions for young participants.
Sources: Orissa Diary, Ommcom News, Orissa Post