Union HRD Minister Praises SOA for Quality Academics and Research

Bhubaneswar: Union Human Resource Development Minister Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ has highly appreciated Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan Deemed to be University (SOA) for its quality academics and research.

Dr. Pokhriyal, who delivered the first lecture of the Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan Lecture Series at the SOA here on Monday, has expressed his happiness over SOA’s commitment towards promoting research in the field of healthcare and agriculture.

He said that the institutions like SOA have been strengthening the country.

The Union Minister praised SOA Founder President Prof. Dr. Manojranjan Nayak for his vision to promote quality academics and research and his relentless effort to translate the same into reality.

Speaking on the proposed new education policy, Dr. Pokhriyal said that it had been put through much scrutiny and was designed to strengthen academics so as to influence the world through India’s age-old value system.

“The new policy has been subjected to intense consultation as it was put in the public domain for suggestions. In fact, it has been the biggest ever consultation taken up in the world,” Dr. Pokhriyal said.

It aims at strengthening the nation while making life meaningful, he said adding no other country shared the philosophy of India.

The new policy has been subjected to intense consultation as it was put in the public domain for suggestions. In fact, it has been the biggest ever consultation taken up in the world, Pokhriyal said.

He said India had over 1000 universities, 45,000 degree colleges, 16 lakh schools, over one crore teachers and 33 crore students which was more than the population of USA.

Referring to the ‘Make in India’, ‘Digital India’, ‘Skill India’ and ‘Start-up India’ campaigns of the government, Dr. Pokhriyal said such endeavours would take the country to the top.

The Union Minister also visited the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital and went round its departments of Burns, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Gastroenterology and Neurosciences.

He also visited the newly-constructed SUM Ultimate Medicare, a new super-speciality hospital coming up here.
The Union Minister also inaugurated a students’ residential complex in SOA campus and interacted with the Founder President, Deans, Directors and other officials of SOA.

‘Samayara Chitralipi’, a book comprising ten selected short stories of Dr. Pokhriyal, translated into Odia by Dr. Mahendra Prasad, Director of SOA, was also released on the occasion.