Mission Suvidya Launched, MoUs Inked To Improve Services At ST/SC Hostels In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched Mission Suvidya at Lok Seva Bhawan here on Wednesday.

According to a CMO release, the Mission will ensure quality norms in basic facilities such as safe building, functional toilets, safe drinking water, proper kitchen and dining in ST/SC Development Department hostels.

“It aims at brining qualitative shift in accommodation facilities provided to students in ST/SC hostels. The Mission has a maximum laid down standard for assuring and sustaining quality with an objective to achieve ISO certification,” said the Chief Minister.

The ST/SC Development Department runs 6500 hostels with over 5.7 lakh students.

The Mission will provide a congenial atmosphere to all the inmates in a phased manner, the release added.

IN PARTNERSHIP

On the occasion, the department also signed three agreements with Quality Council of India (QCI), Akshara Foundation and TRIFED.

The QCI will conduct a comprehensive assessment and evaluation of ST-SC hostels leading to Quality Assurance and Quality Sustenance with an objective to achieve ISO 9001: 2015 certification. QCI DG R P Singh and Tribal Affairs Director Sachin Yadav signed the agreement.

Another MoU was signed between Akshara Foundation CEO Ashok Kamath and Sachin Yaday. Akshara Foundation will cooperate and collaborate with the department to improve learning outcomes of the students. It has developed specific programmes like School Readiness Programme for Grade 1 Students, Classroom/ Hostel Library Programme, digital Learning Solutions and other programmes. It will cover all schools with primary sections under purview of the department in a phased manner and benefit more than two lakh students in the first phase.

The third MoU was signed between Amit Bhatnagar of TRIFED and TDCCOL MD Shri Sarat Mohanty to ensure market linkages to various products produced by tribal artisans and tribal entrepreneurs.

The Chief Minister said that QCI has joined hands with the Odisha government to ensure quality certification to the hostels. “The partnership with Akshara Foundation for up-scaling quality in learning outcomes and with TRIFED for providing market linkages to tribal producers are also very encouraging,” he said.

He said that the endeavour conformed to the objectives of our 5T initiative and hoped that it would have a multiplier effect in the overall quality of education in the state.

Naveen also launched the Logo and unveiled the dashboard of the mission. A short film on the mission was screened. He also released two illustrative booklets on Bathudi and Gandia community.