Odisha Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja chaired the inaugural Governing Body Meeting of Panchasakha Shiksha Setu (PSS) today, announcing a slew of initiatives to amplify alumni involvement in school development.
Emphasising the “invaluable” role of alumni, Ahuja highlighted how their contributions—ranging from infrastructure upgrades to quality enhancements—fuel the progress of alma maters. “To further expand alumni participation and involvement in school development, a series of new initiatives and programs will be introduced,” he announced during the meeting held at the Chief Secretary’s Conference Hall.
The session reviewed milestones from prior Executive Committee meetings, where 1,569 projects valued at ₹26 crore were greenlit across 25 districts. These efforts blend alumni donations with matching government funds, showcasing a collaborative model for educational advancement. Ahuja praised the organisation’s momentum and called for sustained partnerships to fortify the state’s education ecosystem.
Key decisions included a groundbreaking financial literacy program for students in Classes VI to X at PM SHRI schools, to be rolled out under the School and Mass Education Department. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Centre for Financial Education (NCFE) is slated for signing soon, equipping young learners with essential money management skills.
The Governing Body also fast-tracked the holistic development of 51 heritage schools under the Aitihya Vidyalaya initiative, preserving cultural legacies while modernising facilities. In another nod to student welfare, proposals for constructing mid-day meal halls in select schools via Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funding received the go-ahead.
Wrapping up, the body approved PSS’s annual budget alongside detailed program plans and allocations for the coming months, ensuring seamless execution of alumni-driven projects.
Smt. Shalini Pandit, Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the School and Mass Education Department and PSS Vice-Chairperson, underscored the need for deeper alumni ties. “Strengthening alumni engagement is key to school development,” she noted.
The meeting drew a diverse group of stakeholders, including Member Convenor and Secretary Ananya Das; Special Secretary Rajlaxmi Das; Directors of Elementary, Secondary, and Higher Secondary Education—Balmukund Bhuiyan, Birendra Karkara, and Niyati Pattnaik; Joint Director Tuku Barik from ST & SC Development; Director Vineet Bhardwaj from Panchayati Raj; Additional Secretaries Durgaprasad Mohapatra and Bhaskar Raito; and district representatives like Collector Raghuram Iyer (Kendrapara), Dr. Subhankar Mohapatra (Sundargarh), Additional Collector Bedabar Pradhan (Malkangiri), and Special Programme Officer Dr. Maniprasad Mishra.
With these moves, PSS is poised to bridge alumni passion with governmental support, heralding a brighter future for Odisha’s schools.
