A good educational institution should strive not only for achieving excellence in teaching and research activities but also for shaping the character of its students so that they become responsible citizens.
This is what Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said while addressing a workshop on ‘Quality Education and Role of lecturers’ at the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) here on Saturday.
Patnaik said his Government has taken a number of initiatives for improving the facilities in colleges, bringing improvements in curriculums and reforming examinations.
Higher Education Minister Ananta Das, ACS Higher Education G Venu Gopala Sarma and others were present.
“We have initiated process to separate Plus Two classes from the undergraduate system. The number of State Government-run Universities has increased to 12 and the number of NAAC-tagged educational institutions is going up steadily with 9 Universities having A Grade status now,” Patnaik said Besides, the State Government has introduced a transparent online admission system and provided self-defence training to as many as 1.5 lakh girl students.
The Government is taking special measures to increase hostel infrastructure and assisting about 25,000 fresh students every year under the Scholarship programme.
Students are being provided loan for higher education at concessional interest rate of one percent under Kalinga Sikshya Sathi Yojana, he said.
Stating that the Government has ensured recruitment of over 1,600 aided college lecturers last year, he said, “Today, 153 degree college lecturers are getting their appointment letters and as many as 700 more posts of lecturers are in different phases of recruitment.”
He said about 60,000 students have received laptops so far since 2013 while another 15,000 students would receive laptops in the next two weeks.