A 10-day orientation and sensitisation programme on National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is underway at Utkal University to equip teachers and academicians with knowledge and skills required for effective implementation of the policy in higher education.Organised jointly by Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Centre, directorate of distance and continuing education, and College Development Council, the programme began on June 23 and will continue till July 2.Conducted in virtual mode, the programme has drawn participation from faculty members, researchers and academicians from universities, autonomous and affiliated colleges, private institutions and polytechnic colleges across the country. Experts are delivering sessions on eight key themes, including academic leadership, holistic and multidisciplinary education, skill development, Indian knowledge systems, research and development, ICT, higher education and society, and inclusive education.The programme also provides participants an opportunity to interact with leading educationists and exchange ideas on contemporary developments in higher education.ITER wins STATATHONA team of students from Institute of Technical Education and Research (ITER), faculty of Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA) Deemed to be University, has won the grand finale of STATATHON 2025-26, a national competition organised by the ministry of statistics and programme implementation (MoSPI) in collaboration with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).The ITER team, HacknoTricks, emerged as the winner from over 5,300 entries submitted by students from universities and technical institutions across the country. Only 25 teams qualified for the finale, held at Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies, Faridabad, on June 17 and 18.Competing in the data collection challenge category, the team developed an AI-powered Smart Survey Tool to improve the efficiency, accuracy and reliability of survey-based data collection for India’s official statistical system. The winning team, comprising Nishant Sankar Swain, Sriya Bose, Omshree Dash, Aditya Pal and Md Waiz Alam, received a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh.Yoga Day celebrationsDAV Public School, Basanti Colony, Rourkela, celebrated International Day of Yoga with enthusiasm on June 21 under the supervision of school headmaster Vijay Kumar Mishra.LMC member Joshi attended the event as the chief guest. Two yoga instructors guided students and teachers through various yoga asanas and breathing exercises, highlighting the importance of yoga in maintaining physical fitness, mental well-being and a healthy lifestyle.The event witnessed enthusiastic participation from students, teachers and staff, who performed different yoga postures with a pledge to adopt yoga as a part of their daily routine. Sports teachers Dushmanta Behera and Minti Patra, along with senior teachers Prabir Kumar Mishra and Vinod Swain, played a key role in organising the programme. The event was coordinated by Viswanath Thanapati.The celebration concluded with a message encouraging students to embrace yoga for a healthy and balanced life.
