17-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Operation Sindoor showed India's prowess, says Minister Dharmendra Pradhan
SAMBALPUR: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday said the entire world witnessed India's prowess through Operation Sindoor.
Taking part in the 'Parakram Shobhayatra' organised in Sambalpur, the union minister said the event was a grand opportunity to celebrate the success of the operation and honour the courage and valour of the Indian armed forces.
He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's strong leadership and unwavering support for the armed forces which pulled off Operation Sindoor.
The rally saw the presence of deputy chief minister KV Singh Deo, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water minister Rabi Narayan Naik.
Later in the day, Pradhan visited Kuchinda where he inaugurated the temporary campus of Kendriya Vidyalaya and laid foundation for its permanent campus along with 71 other projects worth Rs 135 crore.
The permanent campus of KV at Kuchinda, estimated at Rs 30 crore, had its foundation stone laid at Mantrimunda. The temporary campus will start functioning from this academic year, initially accommodating over 200 students from nursery to fifth grade. It would eventually be expanded for enrolment up to 1,200. This apart, Rs 105 crore worth projects were inaugurated and foundations laid across the constituency.
During his address, Pradhan emphasised the Centre's commitment to improving education, especially in rural areas, through three Eklavya Model Residential Schools in Sambalpur, six PM SHRI schools, broadband connectivity in high schools, and AI-based education.
He highlighted efforts to reduce dropout rates with schemes like Madho Singh Haath Kharcha Yojana and the new ITI in Kuchinda, aimed at producing future ready professionals.
The union minister also reaffirmed the state government's commitment to social justice by reserving 11.25 per cent of seats in higher and higher secondary education for SEBC and other marginalised communities.
Later, Pradhan inaugurated a new auditorium at OUAT, Chipilima built with an investment of approximately Rs 10.5 crore. The Odisha government has allocated an additional Rs 80 crore to strengthen the campus infrastructure and plans are afoot to introduce new courses focusing on technology in agriculture and promote local produce in global markets, he informed.
