BHUBANESWAR: The strength of our education system not lies in academic excellence, but rests in the ability to empower the students with knowledge, confidence, responsibility, and ability to think and face situations of life independently, said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday.
Addressing the diamond jubilee celebration of Sainik School, Bhubaneswar here, Naveen advised the young cadets to seize each and every opportunity they get, and live up to the expectations of the school as well as the nation.The chief minister said the school stands apart for its efforts to instil the ethos of armed forces, and endeavour to awaken the individual potential of each student to serve the motherland in every sphere of life.
“Set up by legendary leader Biju Patnaik in 1962, Sainik School Bhubaneswar, after sixty glorious years, has become a benchmark for quality education, character building and personality enrichment. The school has not only produced some of the finest soldiers of our country, but also a large number of its cadets have made significant achievement in the fields of civil services, medicine, engineering, merchant navy, entrepreneurship and other fields,” he said.
The CM unveiled a bust of his father and former CM late Biju Patnaik. He also felicitated the parents of Captain Ashutosh Kumar, an alumnus of the school, who had been posthumously awarded the ‘Shaurya Chakra’ for his gallant action against terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir.Earlier on the day, the cadets presented the guard of honour to Lt Gen AK Samantrara, SM, DG Infantry and an alumnus of the school.
An Army dog show and aero modelling display was also organised, while Army band display and a cultural show were also a part of the diamond jubilee celebration that will conclude on December 25. Agriculture and Farmer Empowerment Minister and chairman of the reception committee Ranendra Pratap Swain, Principal Col Balu Bharath, Lt Gen (retd) JK Mohanty and president of the Old Boys’ Association Hardaman Singh along with other dignitaries were present.