Naveen Patnaik expresses gratitude to Centre for developing Odisha as leading research hub of nation

New Delhi [India], January 2 : Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday said the state is emerging as a leading research hub of the nation with the support of the Central government.
Patnaik made this statement while talking at the foundation laying stone ceremony for the permanent campus of Indian Institutes of Management (IIM)-Sambalpur in Odisha.
"I am delighted that the Prime Minister is laying the foundation stone for infrastructural development of IIM Sambalpur. In just about five years it (IIM Sambalpur) has been able to cast its positive impact upon the hierarchy of educational institutions in Odisha," Patnaik further said.
Patnaik said, set up in 2015, IIM Sambalpur has already proved its mettle as one of the premier management institutions.
"Education in Odisha is witnessing a rapid transition. I am happy that our state continues its dominance in education sector," he added.
The minister said, Odisha has a tradition of educational excellence since ancient times. Historically, Odisha has been at the forefront of education and research.
With the establishment of IIM, Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER), All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), NLU and many other Institutions of National Importance, Odisha is emerging as a leading research hub of the nation, he stated.
The "Skilled in Odisha" programme has already become an international brand, he further added.
The focus is to train our youth in the latest technology and technical know-how and to make them market-ready as per the demands of industry, Patnaik further added.
"I am happy to know that IIM Sambalpur has been aspiring to be the leading entrepreneurial hub in Odisha and has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) with emphasis on nurturing the entrepreneurial talent of the local weavers and agro-based businesses and to incubate start-ups in these areas," he added.
This works in line with the Government of Odisha's resolve to ensure inclusive, equitable and sustainable development in the state, he informed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone for the permanent campus of IIM-Sambalpur in Odisha, via video conferencing today.
According to an official statement, IIM Sambalpur is the first IIM to implement the idea of the flipped classroom where the basic concepts are learnt in digital mode and experimental learning takes place in the class, through live projects from the industry.
The Institute also outscored all other IIMs in terms of the highest gender diversity with 49 per cent girl students in Master of Business Administration (MBA) (2019-21) batch and 43 per cent in MBA (2020-22) batch, the statement said.