The Odisha government has taken a major step towards strengthening skill development and digital learning in higher education by signing Memorandums of
Understanding (MoUs) with three organisations CSRBOX, Naandi Foundation and Odisha Knowledge Corporation Ltd (OKCL). Alongside these partnerships, the state also rolled out new initiatives, including the ‘AI Course for All’ programme, the Academic Performance Assessment Portal, and the Question Bank Portal. As per reported by PTI, the officials said these efforts are aimed at improving both employability and academic quality across colleges and universities in the state, with a strong focus on technology-driven learning. Skill Development Push to Reach Over 1 Lakh Students Under the agreement with IBM-CSRBOX, more than 1.25 lakh students across Odisha are expected to benefit from structured skill development programmes. The training will be delivered through a mix of online courses, workshops and project-based learning, covering areas such as artificial intelligence, digital literacy, enterprise design thinking and project management. Special attention will be given to students from 107 higher education institutions located in remote and aspirational districts, ensuring that opportunities reach those who often have limited access to such resources. In addition, the partnership with the Naandi Foundation will focus on offline training for final-year girl students pursuing undergraduate and postgraduate courses. This training will include financial literacy, communication skills, public speaking and critical thinking, helping them become more confident and job-ready. AI Learning, Digital Platforms and Academic Monitoring As part of its broader push towards digital education, the state has introduced the ‘AI Course for All’ programme in collaboration with NASSCOM. The initiative is designed to equip both students and faculty members with essential AI skills and is expected to benefit over one lakh learners. Through its collaboration with OKCL, students will also receive 30 hours of communication skills training along with 10 hours of AI-based digital learning, further strengthening their practical knowledge. On the academic side, the newly launched Academic Performance Assessment Portal, developed by the Odisha State Higher Education Council, will evaluate institutions based on 52 key performance indicators. This is expected to bring more transparency and consistency in assessing the quality of higher education institutions across the state. Together, these initiatives signal a clear shift towards a more skill-oriented, tech-enabled and inclusive higher education system in Odisha. (with inputs from PTI)
