Bhubaneswar: Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati on Thursday urged universities to adopt at least one village in their respective areas as a foster village and work towards turning local skills and resources into sustainable livelihood opportunities.
Addressing a one-day experience-sharing programme for vice-chancellors of government and private universities at Centurion University in Jatani, Khordha district, Kambhampati said higher educational institutions should use their students, faculty and institutional resources to identify the skills and potential available in rural communities.
He called for need-based skill development programmes tailored to the requirements of individual villages, while stressing that training should not be treated as an end in itself. Universities should help people use their skills to establish income-generating activities and enterprises, he said.
The Governor also asked universities to create awareness among rural communities about government welfare and livelihood schemes and facilitate access to benefits for eligible beneficiaries. Referring to initiatives such as the PM Mudra Yojana and Chief Minister’s Kamadhenu Yojana, he said universities could act as a bridge between villagers and government programmes.
Kambhampati particularly highlighted the PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana and urged vice-chancellors to spread awareness about the scheme in their respective areas so that more households could avail its benefits.
Recalling his earlier association with Centurion University during his tenure as a Member of Parliament and his involvement with a parliamentary committee on skill development, the Governor said skill development would assume greater importance in the years ahead.
He advised universities not to simply replicate the Centurion University model, but to study the resources, skills and economic potential of their own regions and develop programmes suited to local requirements.
Universities, he said, can serve as catalysts for rural transformation by connecting education and skill development with economic opportunities available locally, thereby helping communities build sustainable livelihoods.
During the programme, vice-chancellors shared their experiences from the exposure visit and made presentations on their observations and key learnings. A book titled Adoption of Clean Energy Technologies in Rural Odisha was also released.
Higher Education, Sports and Youth Services as well as Odia Language, Literature and Culture Minister Suryabanshi Suraj, Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts Department Guha Poonam Tapas Kumar, Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Skill Development and Technical Education Department Bhupendra Singh Punia, and Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Higher Education Department Aravind Agrawal also addressed the gathering.
Centurion University President Professor Mukti Kanta Mishra delivered the welcome address, while Vice-Chancellor Professor Supriya Pattanayak proposed the vote of thanks.
