Bhubaneswar, November 15: Children are the future of the nation, and it is the society’s responsibility to provide them a safe environment to grow and an opportunity to get educated, Saswati Das, Vice-President of Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan, has said.

Students of the Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan Deemed to be University (SOA) here have been doing fantastic work by investing their time and energy in teaching slum children for the last 18 years, Das said while speaking at a program organised by ‘Jaago’, a platform of SOA students, on the occasion of Children’s Day on Friday.

The students have been involved in voluntarily educating children belonging to the neglected lower strata of society under the ‘Jaago’ banner, and this endeavour will help them become ideal citizens of the country, she said.

Prof. Pradipta Kumar Nanda, Vice-Chancellor of the university, who attended the program as a guest of honour, said that ‘Jaago’ should emerge as a revolution to serve society. He said all students of the university should get involved in the program.

The program was also addressed by SOA Pro-Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) Neeta Mohanty, Dean of the Institute of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Prof. Sushanta Kumar Das, and Dean (In-charge) of the Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Prof. Kartik Chandra Sahu.

Prof. Jyoti Ranjan Das, Dean (Students’ Welfare), welcomed the guests while Prof. Anita Panda, Mentor of Jaago, proposed the vote of thanks. The children and students also presented a cultural program.