Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday awarded ‘Mukhyamantri Shikhya Puraskar’ to districts, blocks, students, teachers, alumni committees, gram panchayats, district and block education officers for their contribution to making education a social movement and usher in a revolution in the education system under the 5T initiative.
Prizes were given in two categories— individual and institution. As many as 7,519 prizes were given in 16 departments. Prizes amounting to a total of Rs 138 crore were given.
In the Individual Prize (Secondary) category 2,027 meritorious students, 700 teachers, 419 headmasters, 58 Regional Resource Center Coordinators, 10 Block Education Officers, and 3 District Education Officers have been awarded for best performance in matric examination.
Similarly, 350 headmasters and 319 teachers were awarded in the Individual Prize(Primary) category.
Besides, in the Institution (Secondary) category, 4 districts, 10 blocks, 1057 schools, 419 school management committees, 419 alumni committees, and 414 gram panchayats have been awarded.
Further, 1307 schools have been awarded in the Institutional (Primary) category. Apart from this, in the district education and training institutes category 3 Institutional prizes were given.
These prizes were given for the overall development of school education and the intellectual development of the children.
Along with the Chief Minister, Minister of School & Mass Education Sudam Marndi, Minister of Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes, Minorities and Backward Classes Jagannath Saraka and Panchayati Raj, Drinking Water, Information & Public Relations Minister Pradeep Kumar Amat were present during the programme among others.
Addressing the students, teachers, students and others present in the program, 5T and Nabin Odisha Chairman V Karthik Pandian said that seeing the problem of children’s education since the time of Covid, the Chief Minister thought about the system of online education. Then began 5T high school transformation. So far about 8,000 schools have been transformed.
He said that the high school transformation is a unique example of teamwork. Alumni, people’s representatives, and administration all worked as a team. All of you are one pillar of Odisha’s development. You have planted the seeds of transformation in children. He thanked everyone for this.
This has increased the enthusiasm of children today. Today’s ‘Mukhyamantri Shikhya Puraskar’ has boosted the enthusiasm and morale of everyone involved in education. This prize will help in boosting the confidence of the children to reach higher and achieve their dreams. He said that it would not be an exaggeration to say that there has been a revolution in the field of secondary education in Odisha. He said that today everyone has become a champion towards building a new Odisha, an empowered Odisha of the Chief Minister’s dream. Along with secondary schools, higher secondary and colleges are also undergoing transformation. He said that these institutions will be dedicated soon.
Commissioner-cum-Secretary of School and Mass Education Department Aswathy S gave the welcome address and Special Project Director of OSEPA proposed the vote of thanks.