Odisha inks pact with Lend-A-Hand India to boost vocational education

Bhubaneswar: The School and Mass Education (S&ME) department of the state government on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Lend-A-Hand India to enhance the skills of students.

The agreement was signed by Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) Director Bhupinder Singh Punia on behalf of the state government with Lend-A-Hand India director Raj Gilda at the conference hall of Odisha Primary Education Programme Authority (OPEPA) here.

The agreement was signed in the presence of school and mass education department principal secretary Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra.

According to sources, the school and mass education department under the Odisha Madhyamika Shiksha Mission has implemented vocational education in 314 high schools in the state. In Odisha, vocational education has given the status of the third language and about 25,500 students are currently pursuing the vocational education in these high schools.

The main objective of the agreement is to provide world-class facilities to the students in the vocational education in the secondary school level. Besides, the MoU will ensure quality education to students and develop their skill and make them employable.

Apart from Odisha, the Lend-A-Hand India has signed agreements with 16 other states to provide quality vocational education to students.

Senior officials of other departments of the state government were also present during the signing of the MoU.