Category Archives: News
Odisha government plans to introduce “agriculture” as compulsory subject
The Odisha government is contemplating to introduce agriculture as compulsory subject from primary school to university in the state soon in order to encourage students for cultivation.
This was stated by Odisha’s agriculture minister Pradeep Maharathy here on 25th February 2015. Thrust will also be given for extensive use of Bio fertilizer and on soil testing, he said.
Maharathy said this while gracing the commemoration day of Government Agriculture College, Bhawanipatna as chief guest. The minister said the work of potato mission has been launched in the state setting a target to produce 10 Lakh MT of Potato from present production of 2 Lakh 20 thousand MT. The minister also informed that for the interest of farmers and farming community, a Krushak Bhawan will be set up at Bhubaneswar with an estimated cost of Rs 44 crore 85 Lakhs.
Stating that there is excellent infrastructure and scopes in this tribal dominated district for agriculture Maharathy said Kalahandi is a land of large varieties of crops like paddy, Cotton, Onion, Oil seeds, pulses, Maize, minor millets and minor agriculture crops and irrigation is available in large areas.
The Vice chancellor of Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) Manoranjan Kar said there is nothing like hard working. He asked students to convert challenges in to opportunity. “So far results and other activities of students are concerned, this College is best among the Colleges under OUAT,” he said.
Politics in Sambalpur for coming Polls
Political parties are playing game in Sambalpur by showing many dreams by their capabilities.
Ahead of elections to the Sambalpur municipal corporation, CM Naveen Patnaik on Monday recommends the Centre to set up the proposed Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Sambalpur under relaxed guidelines.
In a letter to Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Smriti Zubin Irani, Patnaik said: “If central government is willing to relax this guideline for site selection, then the state government strongly recommends Sambalpur in western Odisha as the location of IIM, Odisha.”
Earlier, the state government following the HRD ministry’s guidelines, had recommended setting up the proposed IIM in Bhubaneswar.
“I would like to inform you that while recommending the sites for IIM, the state government was constrained by the fact that the location should be close to an airport as per guidelines circulated by the HRD ministry,” said the chief minister.
He said the guidelines restricted the government’s choice to places in and around Bhubaneswar.
In a separate letter to Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Patnaik urged the setting up of two new Passport Seva Kendras (PSK) at Sambalpur and Berhampur.
Stating that the only PSK in Odisha, located at Bhubaneswar, serves 30 geographically dispersed districts, he said the citizens of western and southern districts experience immense difficulties in obtaining passports.
In 2014, about one lakh passports were issued by the PSK.
However, the Opposition Congress and BJP smelt politics in the government move.
“The central government had asked them to identify three places to set up an IIM in Odisha. But it identified two places in Bhubaneswar, ignoring the demand of Sambalpur. As Sambalpur will go to polls soon, there is a political intention behind the letter of the CM,” said BJP spokesperson Suresh Pujari.
Congress leader Pradip Majhi said Naveen Patnaik has embarked on election campaigning for Sambalpur.
Recently, Naveen Patnaik announced Rs.1,600 crore for various development projects in Sambalpur and also laid the foundation stones of various projects.
Aditya Aluminium sets up learning facilities in Sambalpur
Recognising the role of education in social welfare and economic prosperity, Aditya Aluminium, an Aditya Birla Group Company, has set up several learning facilities in and around its project area in Sambalpur. “Education is an area of focus for us in Aditya Birla Group. Hindalco is deeply engaged in helping reach benefits of learning and education for marginalised communities,” Bibhu Mishra, Chief Operating Officer of Aditya Aluminium said.
Elaborating on the company’s initiative to facilitate the learning process, he said “We hope over the coming years these will help truly raise the literacy level in Sambalpur district. “We believe in holistic development of children. So our learning programmes are a mix of educational and sports initiatives. Furthermore, we endeavour to better the school infrastructure so that children are drawn to school.” Among Aditya Aluminum’s initiatives are two free coaching centres, named Kalika running in Pandaloi and Ludhapalli village, where over 104 students get extensive support. Teachers at these centres undergo special training to enable them adopt simple and effective methods of teaching.
The company also provides students with free study material, school bags, uniforms and stationery, a company release said.
Additionally, parent-teacher meets are held regularly to assess the students’ performance and to think of ways to enhance their skills and increase their potential, he said.
Aditya Aluminium has also recourse to innovative ways to stem the dropout rate among students, especially girls.
Last year, it successfully brought back as many as 22 children who had left school in the middle of the term. Girls who have discontinued their secondary education also get a chance to complete their schooling.
In addition, around 60 elderly people have enrolled in the two adult education centres set up by the company.
Nuadei Pradhan, an 85-year-old lady from Tarapoi village said: “Earlier I didn’t know the alphabets, but after coming to Aditya Aluminium’s adult literacy centre, I have learnt how to read as well as write a few words. This achievement has given me immense satisfaction”.
HSC Exam started from 23rd February 2015
The first day HSC exam was completed peacefully on 23rd February 2015. There is no information for violating the law of order in the state. In first day itself, there are 299 students caught cheating in M.I.L. and booked for malpractice by BSE.
Students should be carefully write their Roll Number,subject code, set code, etc. in OMR sheet, said by Professor Dr. Dakhyaprasad Nanda, BSE as some studets did mistake in this matter.
Over 50 students were caught resorting to unfair practice on the first day of the annual High School Certificate (HSC) examination, conducted by Board of Secondary Education (BSE), on Monday. The students appeared for MIL paper on the day.
As many as 23 candidates were caught cheating in Bargarh district followed by 12 in Jharsugdua district, while 10 such cases were reported from Sambalpur district.
Four cases of malpractice were reported from Malpada High School in Khaprakhol block of Balangir district and in Deogarh, one student was caught cheating in Tarang High School under Reamal block. In Nuapada district, four cases of cheating have been reported from Sinapali High School and two from Ranimunda High School in Khariar block.
A total of 1,43,277 students including regular and ex-regular are appearing at the examination through 793 centres under BSE, Sambalpur zone. While a record number of 27,485 students are from Sundargarh district, 24,523 are from Balangir. Similarly, Bargarh accounts for 21,487 examinees.
Deputy Secretary of BSE, Sambalpur Zone, Gopal Behera said the BSE office at Cuttack has been informed about the incidents of malpractice. He added that special squads have been formed to conduct surprise raids.
New Trains in coming railway budget, State BJP
Ahead of Railway Budget, the State BJP has requested Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu to introduce two new trains for improved rail connectivity in Odisha.
Requesting for a new Bhubaneswar-Mumbai Duronto Express, president of the State unit of the party KV Singhdeo said Konark Express is unable to meet the increasing demand of passenger movement between the two cities. Currently, there is only one direct train from Bhubaneswar to Mumbai – the Konark Express – which takes more than 36 hours to reach the destination.
Since a large number of people from the State is working in various sectors in Mumbai, a non-stop Duronto Express will reduce travel time and make it convenient for them, he said.
Singhdeo urged the Union Railway Minister for a new Express train from Titlagarh to Allahabad. Purushottam Express, being the only train from Puri to Allahabad, completely bypasses Western Odisha, he added.
In a separate letter to the Union Railway Minister, former member of Parliament Bhabani Shankar Hota demanded introduction of a new train from Sambalpur to Allahabad.
“A new pair of Rajdhani Express may be introduced from Bhubaneswar to New Delhi on three days a week via Cuttack-Sambalpur-Jharsuguda-Bilaspur. Apart from benefiting passengers from Western Odisha and Chhattisgarh, it will shorten the travel distance to Delhi by 178 kms,” Hota said.
Hota urged Prabhu to consider Bargarh-Nuapada new line which will provide a third corridor to Raipur from Jharsuguda. The Visakhapatnam-Amritsar Express should be made daily with improved coaches, he said.
Asking for adequate budgetary support for early completion of Khurda Road-Balangir line, Hota demanded a driver training centre in Sambalpur Railway Division.
