Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday said the state is developing more playgrounds at school level, and stadiums at block level to groom sportspersons from the childhood.
Patnaik said this during an induction programme for non-teaching staff for different government colleges in the state. As many as 334 new recruits including 18 physical education teachers (PETs) joined the state government colleges.
Addressing the programme on a virtual platform, the Chief Minister said that his government has always encouraged sports to its fullest extent. In fact, Odisha is now a bright spot in the sports map of the globe, he added.
"Recruitment of physical education teachers (PETs) will certainly play a positive role in enhancing the interest of our students in sports and help create more national and international players in our state," Patnaik said.
He hoped that the PETs will contribute immensely for creating a bright future for the students of the state.
He further said that the state government is taking up various steps to develop a vibrant higher education ecosystem in the state.
In the recent past, over 1,000 professors, associate professors, assistant professors and junior lecturers have been recruited in different government and non-government colleges.
This has helped in increasing the student-teacher ratio in the colleges, he pointed out.
Welcoming the new employees, the Chief Minister said that laboratory assistants and junior librarians have been appointed to give more thrust to quality education. Their role in laboratories and libraries is essential to create a dynamic environment for education in institutions, he added.
Saying that 5T is a life skill that can help everyone to succeed in life, he hoped the new entrants in the colleges will create examples for others by following the 5T mantra of the state government.