Bhubaneswar: The Higher Education Department, Government of Odisha, signed three Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with CSRBOX, Nandi Foundation and OKCL to strengthen skill development, digital learning and employability among students. The department also launched the ‘AI Course for All’ programme in collaboration with NASSCOM, along with the Academic Performance Assessment Portal and the Question Bank Portal. The programme was held at the Tennis Centre Auditorium of the Kalinga Stadium, where Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj attended as the Chief Guest.
Through the MoU signed between the Higher Education Department and IBM–CSRBOX, more than 1.25 lakh students across the State will benefit from a skill development programme. Students from the Arts, Science and Commerce streams will be covered under the initiative. Training will be provided through online courses, workshops and project-based learning in areas such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Digital Literacy, Enterprise Design Thinking and Project Management. Special focus will be given to students of 107 higher education institutions in remote and aspirational districts of Odisha. The programme will also emphasise AI skill development for faculty members.
Under the MoU with Nandi Foundation, offline training will be provided to final-year girl students pursuing undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. The training will cover Financial Literacy, Critical Thinking, Public Speaking and Communication Skills, helping students enhance their preparedness for employment opportunities.
Through the MoU with OKCL, students will be provided 30 hours of Communication Skills Programme and 10 hours of AI-based courses through digital mode. In addition, teachers will receive 5 hours of AI Orientation Course.
In collaboration with the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), Ahmedabad, the department will organise a Faculty Mentor Development Programme, under which 40 faculty members from Odisha will undergo six days of training at EDII, Ahmedabad. The training will cover Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship Mentoring and Enterprise Development Tools. The initiative is aimed at strengthening the startup and entrepreneurship ecosystem in higher education institutions across the State.
The ‘AI Course for All’ programme, launched in collaboration with NASSCOM, will provide opportunities for students and working faculty members in higher education institutions to develop their skills in Artificial Intelligence. Through online AI courses, the programme aims to benefit more than one lakh students across the State. The Academic Performance Assessment Portal, launched by the Odisha State Higher Education Council in collaboration with Higher Education Department, will facilitate the assessment of academic performance of higher education institutions across the State. The assessment will be based on 52 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
The Question Bank Portal has also been launched. Through a two-tier mechanism, the portal will ensure the quality of question papers for college and university examinations and facilitate the preparation of question papers in accordance with the standards of the National Credit Framework, thereby enabling effective assessment of students’ learning outcomes and competencies.
Speaking on the occasion, Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj said that the Government is working to develop the skills of students and faculty members, promote quality research in higher education institutions and strengthen the startup ecosystem. He said that the MoUs signed with various institutions will help enhance students’ skills in AI and other emerging technologies, while exposure visits for faculty members will contribute to strengthen the startup ecosystem in higher education institutions. “Education for all, higher education for all is our goal,” the Minister said, adding that steps are being taken to empower students and ensure an inclusive higher education system in the State.
Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Higher Education Department Aravind Agrawal, Director of Higher Education Kali Prasanna Mahapatra, Executive Member of the Odisha State Higher Education Council Professor Atanu Kumar Pati, Additional Secretary to Government Dharanidhar Nanda, Prativa Sahu, Mousumi Nayak and other senior officials were present at the programme.
