The Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Dr P K Mishra addressed the students, faculty and staff of Kalinga Institute of Information Technology in Bhubaneswar Odisha today.

Expressing delight in addressing the bright and young minds present on the occasion, the Principal Secretary highlighted the Kalinga group of Institutions’ inspiring journey starting from humble beginnings in a rented house in 1992 to one of the most sought-after destinations in eastern India for education. He complimented the institution for this amazing journey over the last few decades.

The Principal Secretary commended KIIT’s consistent top ranking among the charts and complimented the inclusive architecture of the Institutions. He said that Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences aims to empower the tribal communities through education with more than 65% of the students being girls with a zero dropout ratio.

Underlining the paramount importance of inclusivity and diversity in higher education, the Principal Secretary emphasized the need for a welcoming and inclusive environment which empowers students from all backgrounds to pursue their dreams and aspirations. “It is through diversity that we gain different perspectives and insights, enriching the learning experience for all”, the Dr Mishra said, expressing delight that the Institute is also working towards preserving, promoting and protecting tribal culture and values.

“Our Prime Minister has a grand vision for India 2047 that he has articulated on various occasions”, the Principal Secretary remarked, acknowledging that India should achieve the status of a developed country while caring for both nature and culture by adopting and implementing technology. “India will be a thought leader in science and technology, aatmanirbhar in all sectors”, he emphasized.

Touching upon the concept of women leading India’s development and the Sankalp of Viksit Bharat, the Principal Secretary said that the economy will be even more inclusive and innovative when corruption, casteism and communalism have no place in our national life. He stated that the coinciding of the growth of the youngsters with that of the country will create a wonderful synergy if both are aligned with each other. In this context, the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister mentioned the recently launched ‘Voice of Youth’ initiative which is a platform for the youth to contribute their ideas to the vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047.  He urged the young minds to think in this direction and play an active role in the growth story of India during the Amrit Kaal.

Speaking about the National Education Policy 2020, the Principal Secretary to the PM said that it aims to create a second-to-none education system in India by 2040 with equitable access to the highest-quality education for all learners regardless of social or economic background. He underlined that as envisioned in the constitution, higher education has an important role to play in promoting human as well as societal wellbeing in developing India.

Throwing light on the implementation of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation, the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister informed about the total budget of Rs 50,000 crores for five years out of which a major share is estimated to come from non-government sources. “ANRF will seed, grow and promote R&D and foster a culture of research and innovation throughout India's universities, colleges, and research institutions by forging collaborations among the industry, academia, and government departments and research institutions”, he elaborated.

Dr P K Mishra threw light on this year’s Budget which has provisions made for setting up a corpus of Rs 1 lakh crore to help tech-savvy youth scale up research and innovation in sunrise domains and lauded the Kalinga group’s role in equipping the youth with the skills they need to thrive in the digital age and but also laying the foundation for a knowledge-based economy that is vital for our nation's progress. He said that Kalinga Institutes will have a significant role when the financial assistance is combined with the Government’s commitment to pay utmost attention to making the eastern region a powerful driver of India’s growth story.

Highlighting the multiple avenues through which Institutions can work with the Central Government, the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister affirmed the Government’s support for R&D infrastructure development and technology development projects across academic institutions. He mentioned that the government is attempting to broaden the base of the institutions undertaking research projects beyond IITs and IISc. “Be it the Visvesvaraya PhD Scheme or collaboration under ANRF, the possibilities are unlimited”, Dr Mishra said, urging the institute to take the students to the CSIR- IMMT lab in Bhubaneshwar. “I am sure it will be a good exposure”, he added.

AP/GP/JD