Vandana Urang, a resident of Namrup tea estate in Dibrugarh district, took control of Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal’s official Twitter account for two hours on November 20 from 9 am to 11 am.

This is for the first time that a student has taken control over CM Sonowal's official Twitter account @CMOfficeAssam.

The 18-year-old girl is a BA first-year student with honours in Political Science from Namrup College.

This was done to mark World Children’s Day.

"This World Children’s Day, student Vandana Urang is taking over our Twitter handle. Join us tomorrow, November 20 from 9 am to 11 am, and know-how children are re-imagining the world,” Sonowal tweeted on November 19.

The CM’s Twitter handle has over 247,000 followers while he himself follows 26 handles including those of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and defence minister Rajnath Singh.

“I thank the chief minister for giving me this opportunity. I will use it to speak about myself, other children and especially on the issue of education,” Urang said in a video message soon after assuming charge of Sonowal’s handle.

Incidentally, while the teenager was using his handle, the CM was away in New Delhi to meet the BJP leadership and discuss the next assembly polls due in the state in March-April 2021.

“I feel the environment in schools plays an important role-- good environment and innovative teaching methods, along with awareness on things like ill-effects of use of addictive substances will encourage children to continue and complete their education,” Urang tweeted.

Namaskar, my name is Vandana Urang from Namroop Tea Estate, Dibrugarh, Assam. On #WorldChildrensDay, I am taking over the CM Office twitter account to talk about my journey & share my opinions on how we can reimagine education in a post-pandemic world. @UNICEFIndia#KidsTakeOver pic.twitter.com/JxKw7CsNu3

— Chief Minister Assam (@CMOfficeAssam) November 20, 2020

“Now that schools and colleges have reopened in Assam, I hope that we focus on these issues so that no child gets left behind,” she added in another tweet.

Urang is part of Muskan, a group of adolescent girls, where she and other girls discuss topics ranging from gender equality, the importance of menstrual hygiene to opportunities that concern their future.

Besides a student handling the CM’s Twitter handle, other initiatives to mark World Children’s Day include handing over a manifesto prepared by children selected from all over Assam to Sonowal and other political leaders of the state.