Berhampur: The Gajapati district administration has launched Sankalp (School adoption for nurturing knowledge, aspirations, leadership and process) and Samarpan (Safe active moral values academic support responsibility personality awareness nutrition and nurture) across all schools and hostels run by the SC/ST development department to improve academic and overall outcomes.The SC/ST development department and the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), Paralakhemundi, will jointly implement the initiatives. Collector (Gajapti) Akshyaya Sunil Agrawala launched the programmes and modalities are being finalised, said district welfare officer Soloman Raikia.Project administrator, ITDA, Ansuman Mohapatra said around 30,000 students and hostel inmates in 106 schools and about 200 hostels are expected to benefit.Under Sankalp, teaching-learning methods aligned with NEP-2020 will be adopted, including project-based learning, interactive and blended learning and mock tests, Raikia said, adding that the focus is to make classroom instruction more engaging and meaningful.As part of the initiative, district- and block-level officers will adopt schools as mentors to monitor activities, drive academic excellence, support remediation for underprivileged students and oversee NEP implementation. Mentors will also identify talent and promote academic enrichment, life skills, communication, sports and cultural activities, innovation, and guidance on higher education and careers, Mohapatra said.Mentors will flag critical infrastructure gaps in schools and hostels and recommend solutions through the district administration, officials said.Under Samarpan, hostel inmates will be sensitised on healthy and nutritious food, clean and green hostels, life skills and value education, yoga and meditation. The programme will be implemented through continuous awareness drives, monitoring, counselling and periodic reviews, officials said.
