Bhubaneswar, June 1: On the auspicious occasion of Sitalsasthi, a major cultural festival in western Odisha, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the newly constructed Krishi Bhawan in Sambalpur on Sunday.
Speaking to mediapersons, Sambalpur MP Pradhan lauded the "double-engine government" for prioritizing the welfare of farmers. “Over the past year, many initiatives have been taken in Odisha for the farming community,” he said. Highlighting government support, he noted, “Apart from the increased Minimum Support Price (MSP) announced by the Centre for Kharif crops, the Odisha government is providing an additional ₹800 per quintal from its budget. No other government has extended such substantial subsidies to farmers since independence.”
Later in the day, he addressed the 'prhAI: Conclave on AI in Education', organised by the Centre of Policy Research and Governance (CPRG), where he emphasized the critical role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in shaping the future of Indian education.
“Just like the internet, AI has become a basic necessity,” said Pradhan, calling the technology both inevitable and essential. He underscored AI’s transformative potential, saying it is now widely discussed across higher education institutions in the country.
“Increased access to technology has created a highway of empowerment for our students,” he remarked. Pradhan expressed confidence in India’s capability to lead in AI, stating, “India’s human intelligence has the power to turn emerging technologies into indigenous innovations.”
