Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday joined the platinum jubilee celebrations of PM SHRI Kushaleswar Government High School in Keonjhar district, praising the institution’s 75-year journey from humble beginnings in 1950 to becoming a reputed centre of learning.
Addressing a large gathering of students, teachers, alumni and residents, the Chief Minister described the school as “not merely a place of textbook learning but a sacred ground for shaping lives.” He lauded its emphasis on discipline, moral values and character building, inspired by the ideals of Utkalmani Pandit Gopabandhu Das.
CM Majhi announced that a new auditorium would be constructed in the school premises. He also declared that under the PM SHRI scheme, the school would be transformed into a model institution equipped with modern infrastructure, digital classrooms, smart learning facilities and an innovative curriculum. Odisha has included nearly 800 schools under the PM SHRI initiative, with the goal of developing them as national benchmarks in school education.
Highlighting broader government initiatives, the Chief Minister revealed that the 2026-27 state budget has allocated over ₹31,997 crore for the School and Mass Education Department. He informed that nearly 20,000 teachers have been appointed in the last one-and-a-half years, with plans to recruit another 45,000 teachers soon. The government has also begun work to establish a Godabarish Mishra Ideal Primary School in every panchayat.
On the local development front, CM Majhi announced two key projects for the region: ₹6.34 crore has been sanctioned for the construction of the Sarei-Hatishila road to improve connectivity, while ₹3.07 crore will be invested for the development of Baba Kushaleswar Mahadev Peeth.
He urged students to focus on time management, creativity and discipline, reminding them that “a good school does not merely prepare students for jobs; it prepares them for the battle of life.”
The event was attended by Ghasipura MLA Badri Narayan Patra, Telkoi MLA Dr Fakir Mohan Naik, Keonjhar District Collector Vishal Singh, organising committee president Hadibandhu Pattnaik, secretary Ramachandra Naik, the school’s headmaster, teachers, former students and guardians.
