In a major initiative to build financial awareness among young students, the School and Mass Education Department of Odisha has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Panchasakha Shiksha Setu Sangathan (PSSS) and the National Centre for Financial Education (NCFE).
The agreement will integrate financial literacy into the curriculum for students from Class 6 to Class 10 in 736 PM SHRI schools across all 30 districts of the state.
The MoU was signed on Monday in the presence of Dr. N. Tirumala Naik, Commissioner-cum-Principal Secretary of the School and Mass Education Department.
Ananya Das, Member Secretary of PSSAS and State Project Director of OSEPA, signed on behalf of PSSAS, while Alok Chandra Jena, Director and Chief Executive Officer of NCFE, signed from the NCFE side. Raj Lakshmi Das, Chief Operating Officer of PSSAS, was also present at the ceremony.
Aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the programme aims to equip students with practical knowledge of various economic schemes and essential life skills. Students will learn about money, savings, budgeting, banking, investment, taxation, financial transactions, and financial responsibility. The goal is to develop sound financial management skills and entrepreneurial abilities, helping them become conscious and responsible citizens.
Teachers and educators will receive specialised training in financial literacy before the curriculum is rolled out in schools. Participating schools will also be certified as “Money Smart Schools” by NCFE.
This collaboration represents another milestone in the Odisha government’s commitment to delivering quality education and empowering students with vocational and life skills.
