Bhubaneswar, Nov 13: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday launched the ‘Nipun App’ and inaugurated robotics laboratories in 807 schools across Odisha, announcing a series of initiatives to strengthen the state's education system.

The initiatives were launched during the inaugural ceremony of the three-day Suravi children's festival, being organised under the theme ‘Samruddha Bhasha, Samruddha Odisha’ (Prosperous Language, Prosperous Odisha).

The Chief Minister also distributed the Chief Minister Odia Language Scholarship to meritorious students and felicitated 10 outstanding students and four CHSE toppers. Under the scheme, 7,350 students across the state are receiving an annual scholarship of Rs 7,500 each for their performance in Odia.

Also Read: Suravi 2025: State-Level Children’s Festival concludes

The robotics laboratories have been established at an investment of Rs 164.33 crore. Each laboratory is equipped with four robots, robotics kits, computers and 3D printing facilities. Students from Classes VI to X will get exposure to robotics, coding, artificial intelligence, machine learning and other emerging technologies.

The facilities are expected to help students undertake more than 100 innovative projects, while also bridging the digital divide between rural and urban schools.

Addressing students, teachers and parents, Majhi said Suravi was much more than a children's festival, describing it as a platform that reflects the dreams, creativity, talent and potential of young minds.

Recalling his earlier experience as a teacher, he said he attended the programme not only as the head of the government but also as a teacher. He added that his teaching instincts came to the fore whenever he visited schools or attended student-related programmes.

Emphasising the importance of childhood, Majhi said parents and teachers had a responsibility to shape children into responsible citizens through education, guidance, discipline and values.

He advised students to adapt to changing times and cautioned them against the misuse of mobile phones. Digital devices, he said, should primarily be used to acquire knowledge rather than for entertainment.

The Chief Minister also urged students to look beyond the conventional pursuit of government jobs and high marks, stressing that skills, competence and capabilities were more important for securing employment.

Referring to Odisha's rapid industrialisation, he said the state's emerging economic opportunities would generate lakhs of jobs in the coming years and urged students to prepare themselves to benefit from them. Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, he said the future of the nation depended on its children.

Focus On Foundational Learning And Education Reforms

The newly launched Nipun App will support the Nipun Odisha mission, which aims to ensure that every child acquires foundational reading, writing and numeracy skills by the end of Class III. The initiative will use classroom monitoring and individual learning assessments to track students' progress.

The Chief Minister also highlighted several initiatives being undertaken to implement the National Education Policy in Odisha. These include setting up Shishu Vatika centres for early childhood education, establishing Godavarish Mishra Adarsh Primary Schools in every panchayat, extending the mid-day meal programme to students of Classes IX and X and providing free education from KG to PG.

Under the Chief Minister Odia Language Scholarship scheme, students from Odia-medium schools who secure the highest marks in Odia in the annual High School Certificate examination are selected for financial assistance. The selection is made at different administrative levels, including 20 students from each block, 20 from each municipal corporation, 10 from each municipality and five from each Notified Area Council.

School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond said Suravi played an important role in nurturing children's abilities beyond classroom learning by providing opportunities in literature, culture, art, music, dance, debate, quizzes and other creative activities.

He said the government's vision was to build an Odisha where every child had access to education in the mother tongue, every language received due recognition and the state's cultural heritage was preserved for future generations.

As Odisha moves towards the centenary of its formation in 2036, education, language, culture and youth creativity would remain key drivers of development, he added.

Bhubaneswar-Ekamra MLA Babu Singh, Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the School and Mass Education Department N. Thirumala Naik and OSEPA State Project Director (In-charge) Sangita Behera were among those present.

The three-day festival will feature competitions in debate, essay writing, speech, creative writing, quizzes, drawing, music, Odia handwriting, dictation, PM-Poshan-related painting and handicrafts, besides group cultural performances.