PURI/TALCHER: UTKAL Gourab Madhusudan Das had laid the foundation for development of education in Odisha while the great leader, Gopabandhu Das, had taken the initiative to develop technical education in the State and Biju Patnaik took the giant leap to develop Odisha as a technical hub. This was stated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
The Chief Minister was here to inaugurate the golden jubilee function of the government-run Puri Industrial Training Institute on Thursday. Naveen unveiled a souvenir of the institution and felicitated the alumni of the ITI, who have set up their own units and are helping generate employment. Two former faculty members of the institution were also felicitated.
Speaking on the occasion, Sanjay Kumar Dasburma, Technical Education Minister, said there are 30 government ITIs and polytechnics in the State. Another six Dakshyata Vikas Kendra (skill development centres) would be established to develop skills of students. Odisha Skill Development Authority (OSDA) Chairman Subroto Bagchi said skills of faculty members of ITIs would be developed on a par with international standards by getting them trained in Japan and other industrially developed countries. Bagchi said the existing curriculum would be revamped. Efforts are on to transform the State into a skilled human resources hub, he added. A technical training institute is coming up near Khurda which will be dedicated to develop skills of differently-abled students.
Principal of the institution, Deepak Pattnaik, said the institution that was started in 1966 with six streams, now has over 600 students studying in nine trades. This ITI had trained hundreds of students during the last five decades.
The Chief Minister also attended the golden jubilee function of government-run Talcher ITI on Thursday. Apparently, Talcher ITI is the only government-run ITI in Angul and Dhenkanal industrial district. Naveen called on Odia youths to excel in skill development. Stating that skills of youths here are unparalleled, the Chief Minister said everyone should ensure that he learns new skills as per the market demand. “Talcher ITI has produced many talents including a girl, who is now a loco driver in Khurda railway division,” he said.