Berhampur: A total of 633 meritorious students from economically disadvantaged Scheduled Caste families were awarded the Jyoti Fellowship during the 8th edition of Arunima 2026, a flagship event of Tata Steel Foundation, at Berhampur University here.
The two-day conclave was organised by the foundation’s Gopalpur Unit and served as a comprehensive platform to promote education, youth leadership, women’s empowerment, and sustainable livelihood opportunities in its operational villages around the region. Students, women leaders, farmers, subject matter experts, and local public representatives took part in the interactive sessions and discussions.
Chhatrapur MLA Krushna Chandra Nayak, Chhatrapur Notified Area Council chairman Sarmistha Pradhan, Padma Shri awardees Patayat Sahu, Dr Sabarmatee, and Simanchal Patra; along with Project Scientist at IIT Bhubaneswar Dr. Biswa Ranjan Pradhan, Principal Scientist at the Central Horticultural Experiment Station, Bhubaneswar, Dr. Gobinda Chandra Acharya, District Fisheries Officer, Ganjam, Bharat Bhusan Sahoo and Raimati Ghiuria, widely known as the Millet Queen from Koraput also participated.
Head of Corporate Services at Tata Steel Special Economic Zone Limited (TSSEZL) Rakesh Kumar Patro and Unit Lead for TSF Gopalpur Dr Jayant Kumar Tripathy were present.
A key focus of the conclave was livelihood enhancement and community resilience. It engaged 538 farmers in in-depth conversations on diversified, climate-resilient, and market-oriented agricultural practices. Additionally, 345 women leaders from TSF-supported villages participated in dedicated sessions addressing women’s leadership, gender mainstreaming, entrepreneurship, and the creation of dignified, sustainable income sources for women.
The event also recognised grassroots contributions through felicitations. Five Youth Change Makers were honoured for their impactful work in preventing child marriage, raising menstrual hygiene awareness, and promoting adolescent education. Thirty progressive farmers were celebrated for successfully increasing their incomes through innovative agriculture and allied activities.
Another highlight was the launch of new Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials focused on organic input production and sustainable farming techniques. These resources aim to improve soil health, minimise reliance on chemicals, and boost overall farm profitability. Technical sessions throughout the programme covered topics such as natural farming, herbal plantations, probiotic crop practices, natural resource management, and government fisheries schemes, a company release said.
