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Odisha's Free Bus Service & Child Tracking Aim to Boost Student Enrollment

Odisha's Education Minister Nityananda Gond stated that the Mukhyamantri Bus Seva, providing free commute, will significantly aid students from remote regions in accessing education. He emphasized the scheme's role in encouraging more students to study, thereby contributing to state and national development. Gond also highlighted Odisha's pioneering Child Tracking Survey, which investigates reasons for dropouts among those under 18 to facilitate their enrollment. Concurrently, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated projects at NIT Rourkela, linking institutional excellence to Odisha's development vision.

Key Points: Odisha's Free Student Bus Service & Child Tracking to Cut Dropouts

  • Free bus service for students
  • Pioneering Child Tracking Survey
  • Reducing school dropout rates
  • Boosting enrollment in remote areas
2 min read

Odisha Education Minister Nityananda Gond hails Mukhyamantri Bus Seva for students

Odisha Education Minister hails free Mukhyamantri Bus Seva for remote students & a pioneering Child Tracking Survey to reduce dropout rates and boost enrollment.

"The Mukhyamantri Bus Seva will greatly benefit students from far-flung areas by enabling them to study free of cost. - Nityananda Gond"

Mayurbhanj, December 28

State Education Minister Nityananda Gond asserted that the Mukhyamantri Bus Seva, which provides free commute to students, will greatly benefit students from far-flung areas.

Highlighting the importance of the scheme, Gond said on Saturday, "The Mukhyamantri Bus Seva will greatly benefit students from far-flung areas by enabling them to study free of cost."

He further emphasised the scheme's role in encouraging more students to study.

"This step will surely encourage more students to pursue education and will contribute to the development of the state and the nation...," he told ANI.

Gond emphasised the need to reduce dropout rates. On those lines, a Child Tracking Survey was conducted in the state, through which the reasons can be analysed and potential enrollees identified.

"No other state has ever done this before; we did it first in Odisha by carrying out a Child Tracking Survey. Through this, we investigate the reasons for drop-outs in students under 18 years of age and then by providing those resources, we are trying to enrol them all in schools," the minister told ANI.

On Saturday, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the sports complex and laid the foundation stone for development projects at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela, in Odisha.

Pradhan said NIT Rourkela ranked 13th in the engineering category of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) this year.

He said he visited the campus to congratulate the institute and extend his best wishes.

Highlighting that India is on the cusp of a technological transformation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, Pradhan said the vision of a "Viksit Bharat" will also pave the way for a developed Odisha by 2036.

He expressed confidence that NIT Rourkela will play a key role in this journey.

Earlier, on Friday, Pradhan laid the foundation stones for Rs 250-crore development projects at Rairakhol, on the occasion of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's 101st birth anniversary on Thursday.

Speaking at the occasion, the Education minister said, "We celebrated Shushasan Diwas on the occasion of the 101st birth anniversary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Projects worth around Rs 250 crore were unveiled here today."

The Union Minister also inaugurated Odisha Adarsha Vidyalaya in Sambalpur.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Good step, but implementation is key. Hope the buses are reliable and cover all the remote villages. The Child Tracking Survey sounds promising—understanding *why* kids drop out is the first real step to solving the problem.
A
Aman W
While the state scheme is good, the article also shows the Centre's focus on higher education with NIT Rourkela. We need this dual approach—supporting school kids and boosting our premier institutes. Jai Hind!
S
Sarah B
As someone who works in the development sector, I appreciate the data-driven approach with the survey. Too often, schemes are launched without proper groundwork. Hoping the resources actually reach the identified children.
V
Vikram M
Free bus service is a basic necessity that should have been provided long ago. It's a welcome move, but let's not celebrate too early. The real test is in sustaining it and ensuring quality education once the kids reach school.
K
Kavya N
My cousin teaches in a Mayurbhanj village. She says attendance spikes when transport is arranged, then falls again. Consistency is everything. I hope this 'Bus Seva' has a permanent budget and doesn't stop after the elections.
D
Dharmendra P
It's heartening to see focus on both school

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