Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday urged students to avoid wasting time on social media or falling prey to misinformation. Speaking at the Teachers’ Day (Guru Divas) programme at Secondary Board High School, Kataka, he advised students to pursue their studies with single‑minded focus to build strong careers.
The Chief Minister said a student’s first duty is to study well, acquire skills and contribute to personal growth as well as the nation’s development. That, he said, is the core purpose of education. Students should stay away from anything that can come in the way of their career.
He also said the relationship between teachers and students needs to be more friendly in today’s times. Students should seek the blessings of parents and teachers and aim for the highest success.“Education builds people”“Education is not merely the imparting of knowledge. It is a great process of building a human being, and our teachers have been carrying out this sacred responsibility,” Majhi said.
Paying tribute to former President Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan on his birth anniversary, he said the guru-shishya tradition in Indian culture is unmatched. From Lord Rama and Lord Krishna to Chandragupta Maurya and Swami Vivekananda, teachers played a decisive role in shaping great lives. Even in the modern era, “Missile Man” Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, while holding the nation’s highest office, took pride in introducing himself first as a teacher.
Free education and teacher recruitment:
Highlighting education reforms, the Chief Minister said Odisha is the first state in the country to make education free and universal from kindergarten to postgraduate level.
He also referred to other initiatives:
- Construction of 2,200 world-class Godabarish Mishra Adarsha Primary Schools at a cost of Rs 12,000 crore
- Opening of 45,000 Shishu Batikas for pre-school children
- Mid-day meals and textbooks for students of Classes 9 and 10
- Shahid Madho Singh Hata Kharcha Yojana for tribal students
- Filling of 45,000 teacher posts in the next three years
Majhi praised the Panchasakha Shiksha Setu initiative of the School and Mass Education Department, under which alumni are being involved in the integrated transformation of schools.
He said Secondary Board High School can take pride in alumni such as former MLA Lalitendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra and former Finance Minister Panchanan Kanungo, adding that such personalities are the true identity of an educational institution.
He called upon teachers, students, alumni and the public to work together to build a strong, prosperous and self-reliant Odisha.
Teachers felicitated:
On the occasion, the Chief Minister honoured teachers Ashok Kumar Satapathy, Kumudini Jee, Shakuntala Mohanty, Daitari Sahu and Jayanti Majhi for dedicated service in teaching and shaping students’ futures. He said such teachers play a major role in carrying forward the school’s proud tradition.
Among those present were Mahanga MLA Sarada Prasad Pradhan, Kataka Sadar MLA Er Prakash Chandra Sethi, Choudwar-Kataka MLA Souvik Biswal, Banki MLA Devi Ranjan Tripathy, School and Mass Education Department Commissioner-cum-Secretary Dr N. Thirumala Naik, Kataka Collector Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde, Board of Secondary Education President Srikanta Tarai, school headmaster Ashok Kumar Satapathy, teachers, students and alumni.
