JHARSUGUDA: Union Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday said the state government is committed to improvement of schools.
Inaugurating ‘MCL ki ek pahal’, a CSR initiative by Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) to provide career counselling and life skills training to students from classes X to XII in Jharsuguda, he said the government in its budget laid stress on expansion of mid-day meals and improvement of schools.
Attending the programme organised jointly by the district administration and MCL, Pradhan said the ‘MCK ki ek pahal’ initiative is a sincere effort towards guiding students in accordance with the National Education Policy (NEP). “Odisha is a state of skilled people and this step has been taken with the objective of increasing the skills and entrepreneurial acumen of the youth keeping the current scenario in mind,” he said.
The Union minister informed around 14,962 students of Jharsuguda district will be given career counselling under the programme. “The project aims to build a bright future for them with practical advice. The career counselling platform will not only help the students explore the career path but also assist in development of an industrially-rich Jharsuguda. Through this innovative programme, the hopes and aspirations of the students of Jharsuguda can be fulfilled and their future built,” Pradhan added and suggested to expand the initiative to the district level.
He further said NEP is being implemented in the country. “The state government has decided to implement NEP in the field of higher education. The government is going to launch its own scheme ‘Godabarish Mishra Ideal Primary School Yojana’ to establish model schools in all panchayats like PM Shri School of the Centre. On Children’s Day, the state government organised an innovative initiative ‘Dokan Mela’ which aimed at honing the entrepreneurial skills of children,” the minister said.
Labelling Jharsuguda as a district of entrepreneurs, Pradhan said children should prepare themselves accordingly. He urged the district administration to plan exposure visits for students to mines and industries besides historical places in the district. “Jharsuguda district must become a leading region through education,” he said.
The minister lauded the ‘Pathana Parba’ which was organised for two months with the aim of inculcating reading habits among students of Jharsuguda. He said inculcating interest for reading among students is a recommendation of the National Education Policy. “It is a sincere effort on the part of the district administration towards building a Smart India,” he added.
Revenue and Disaster Management minister Suresh Pujari, Bargarh MP Pradeep Purohit and MLA Tankadhar Tripathi were present.