Bhubaneswar: Sabyasachi Panda, a top Maoist leader who has been serving life imprisonment in Berhampur Circle Jail since 2014, has decided to pursue higher education inside the prison.
Despite being a nightmare for the police and administration for over two decades, Panda has developed a keen interest in studies and is now spending most of his time in jail reading and learning.
Panda, who has already completed his degree in Humanities from IGNOU in 2022 and holds a degree in Mathematics from Puri SCS College, is now studying to pursue a postgraduate degree in Public Administration from Odisha State Open University. He will be appearing for the exam along with four other prisoners and two under-trial prisoners.
They all have been provided with textbooks and required study materials by the jail authorities. The jail teacher is also providing them with guidance and support in their studies.
Panda’s decision to pursue higher education is a significant development, given his notorious past as the head of the Odisha Maoist Party. He was arrested in 2014 and had carried a cash reward of Rs 5 lakh on his head.
Panda’s interest to pursue higher education in jail will inspire others to learn inside the jail, said jail superintendent Dhirendra Nath Barik.
“Three study centres – Odisha State Open University, IGNOU, and National Institute of Open Schooling – are functioning in the jail. A number of inmates have enrolled in various courses. The jail premises house a well-furnished library with 4,000 books, equipped with chairs and tables. According to Barik, the ideal academic environment created inside the jail has encouraged inmates to pursue higher education,” Barik added.
