BHUBANESWAR/JEYPORE: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday said Koraput will be converted into a hub of the manufacturing sector.
Attending the 14th foundation day ceremony of the Central University of Odisha (CUO) in Koraput virtually as the chief guest, Pradhan said during the Independence Day celebration, that Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the people of the country to take five resolutions for a developed India.
“On the call of the Prime Minister, Koraput, a region with immense potential, will be made a hub of the manufacturing sector. Apart from production of bauxite, a high-quality aluminium manufacturing centre will have to be set up in Koraput,” he said.
He urged the CUO to work towards promoting local produce, be it organic crops or food products, through research and development.
“Crops like paddy, mango, ragi and vegetables besides Koraput Coffee produced in the region organically hold a special place in the market. The Prime Minister in his last Mann Ki Baat address spoke about promoting millets (ragi). So, ragi has to be prioritised. The biscuits made from the ragi of Koraput have to be taken to the global market,” the Union Minister said.
Pradhan further said the Prime Minister has envisioned the National Education Policy (NEP) as a means to eradicate poverty. “We all need to work together to take CUO forward through this education policy. The mother tongue has also been given priority in the NEP. Providing education to the tribes in their local language will lead to the development of primary education and the manifestation of critical thinking,” he said.
Delivering the foundation day lecture, former NITI Aayog CEO and India’s new Sherpa for the G-20 Amitabh Kant laid stress on the importance of the digital economy and the promotion of modern technology like artificial intelligence in every sector.
“Entrepreneurs should also be promoting startup programmes with domestic and foreign capitals. Till date, India has promoted more than 70,000 startups,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, CUO Vice-Chancellor in-charge Prof Sharat Kumar Palita said the university has succeeded in fulfilling the needs of people to some extent, but it has a long way to go for achieving academic excellence. Among others, eminent scientist Prof Nirmal Ganguly and Koraput MLA Raghuram Padal were present.