Bhubaneswar: As many as 160 inmates of the high-security Jharapada jail in Bhubaneswar are appearing for different examinations starting from Class X up to PG following the Odisha government’s initiative to educate the prisoners.
Altogether 60 prisoners, including a woman, are appearing for the class X examination, while ten inmates, including some women, are writing the Plus II examination. Two jail inmates are appearing for Post Graduate (PG) examination, reports said on Monday.
These examinations are being conducted by Odisha State Open University (OSOU), Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), they said.
As many as 45 inmates studying BA, BCom, and MA are appearing for the examinations through IGNOU, while 25 others studying BA, BBA, GA, MA are appearing through OSOU. Sixty prisoners are appearing for different examinations being conducted by NIOS, they said.
While the examinations conducted by IGNOU will end on September 5, those by NIOS will conclude on September 6 and OSOU tests will end on September 30.
Apart from the inmates of Jharapada jail, several prisoners of Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Angul and Khurdha jails are also coming to the Bhubaneswar Special Jail to appear for the examinations.
The examinations are conducted in the jail twice a year and 150 inmates have enrolled for writing the examinations slated to be held in December this year. Eighty prisoners wrote the examinations in 2021, sources said
While one teacher is appointed at the jail by the government to impart education to the inmates, teachers from different educational institutions also visit the prison to teach the prisoners. Books, notebooks, pens and other materials are provided to the inmates for the purpose, they added.
