Bhubaneswar: Union Minister of Education, Dharmendra Pradhan said that with the spirit of nation-first, youth will be the torchbearers of a self-reliant India of the 21st century. He said this during the inauguration of the Pushpagiri Lecture Hall Complex and Rishikulya Hall of Residence at IIT-Bhubaneswar on Friday.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed by Director, IIT-Bhubaneswar, Prof RV Raja Kumar and Chairman, Skill Development Institute Bhubaneswar, Ranjan Kumar Mohapatra in the presence of Pradhan. The MoU is for enhancing skill development activities for unemployed, under-employed & underprivileged youth with technical education relevant to the industry under the expertise and guidance of IIT Bhubaneswar.
Addressing the participants, the minister said that the government has taken various steps to provide opportunities to our youth by supporting higher education institutions in all possible ways. He further said to overhaul the education landscape of the country, the government brought out the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 based on the foundation of Affordability, Accessibility, Equity and Quality. It is not merely a policy but a vision document for our future which aims to establish a student-centric education system by empowering the students with flexibility and power of choice, he added. The Minister stressed that NEP will transform our higher educational institutions into world-class institutions.
Pradhan expressed his joy in inaugurating the largest lecture complex and hostel in the State of Odisha and hoped that the added infrastructure facilities will enable the students to strive for greater excellence.
The education minister said that the collaboration between IIT and SDI will help to address the local issues and environmental issues in a disaster-prone state like Odisha and thereby acting as a role model for the entire nation. He further reiterated that the amalgamation of knowledge and technical skills at IIT Bhubaneswar will pave the path for innovative outcomes in a state like Odisha.
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