Bhubaneswar/Jharsuguda: Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Tuesday honored the meritorious students of Jharsuguda district who excelled in the annual High School Certificate (HSC) Examination, commending the district administration’s educational initiatives that contributed to this year’s remarkable academic success.
During a grand felicitation ceremony held at the Jharsuguda Engineering School Auditorium via virtual mode from Lok Seva Bhawan, Pujari emphasized that talented and educated youth are crucial for building a developed and ‘New Odisha.’ He encouraged students to dream big and work diligently towards their goals.
“Schools are man-making factories and teachers are their skilled craftsmen. There is a need for a strong roadmap to ensure quality education reaches every student,”
the minister stated while appreciating the efforts of teachers, guardians, and the district administration.
The event was organized to honor students who achieved A1 grades by scoring above 90 percent in the HSC examination. A total of 78 students from the district secured A1 grades, while 383 students obtained A2 grades, showcasing Jharsuguda’s impressive academic performance this year.
District Education Officer Radhakanta Gartia remarked that several innovative educational initiatives contributed to the district’s success. Under the ‘Unmesh’ program, meritorious students scoring above 60 percent in Class IX examinations received special coaching through residential camps led by senior teachers. Additionally, teachers provided individual mentoring to students during their preparation.
He added that remedial classes for weaker students were conducted across schools beyond regular teaching hours, which helped improve learning outcomes and examination performance.
Jharsuguda district recorded a pass percentage of 97.89 this year, significantly higher than in previous years. The district also achieved the top position in Odisha in the Performance Grading Index and ranked fourth in overall HSC pass percentage.
Among the top performers, Naman Pradhan of Government High School, Municipal High School (Ekatali), and Sudam Behera of Sri Aurobindo Purnanga Shiksha Kendra jointly secured the district’s top position with 96.33 percent marks. Both students ranked among the top five achievers in Odisha.
While Naman expressed his ambition to crack IIT-JEE and later join the Indian Civil Services, Sudam stated his goal of qualifying for NEET to become a doctor.
Bargarh MP Pradeep Purohit and Jharsuguda MLA and District Planning Board Chairman Tankadhar Tripathy attended the program as guests of honor and presented the students with certificates and gifts.
Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the School and Mass Education Department Dr. N Thirumala Naik, former Jharsuguda collector Aboli Sunil Naravane, and Odisha Power Generation Corporation Ltd managing director Kedar Ranjan Pandu also joined the program virtually.
Jharsuguda collector Kunal Motiram Chavan, along with education officials, teachers, guardians, and students, were present at the event.
