The Odisha government will put the best resources available towards training the winners of India Skills Competition for the World Skills Competition, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said here on Saturday.
Odisha students have got as many as 59 medals at India Skills Competition 2021 which was held in New Delhi in January 2022. These winners will go through the gruelling preparations for the World Skills Competition scheduled to be held in Shanghai, China in October, 2022.
"Winning is a habit; so is excellence. I believe our children have now formed the habit to excel, to compete with the best in the world and win." Patnaik said while felicitating the winners of India Skills Competition.
The Chief Minister has announced enhancement of cash incentives for Biju Patnaik Dakhyata Award for the winners of World Skills Competition (WSC).
He announced that from this edition onwards, the gold medal winner in the World Skill Competitions will get an award of Rs 1 crore, while the silver medallist will get Rs 50 lakh and the bronze medallist will get Rs 25 lakh.
The institution which nurtures the gold medal winner will get Rs 5 crore for setting up the Biju Patnaik Centre of Excellence, said Patnaik.
He further said: "We have kept the goal of 2-3-4, bringing 2 golds, 3 silvers and 4 bronzes for the country from the youth of Odisha at WSC, Shanghai."
Wishing the competitors at WSC, he said: "From now onwards, may all of you have 'Shanghai on my mind, India in my heart', as you work towards making this dream a reality."
In standing with our commitment to promoting girls in technical education, girls have brought the state national honours in areas that are traditionally male dominated, he pointed out.
The CM said that Odisha worked for a time when people would ask our boys, girls whether they are just skilled or skilled-in-Odisha.
"We have made skilling aspirational for the youth and it is at the core of all that we do in the area of skilling," he said, adding that "the World Skill Centre in Bhubaneswar, set up with ITEES Singapore as the knowledge partner, stands as a towering testament of our commitment towards the youth of Odisha."
Chairman of Odisha Skills Development Authority (OSDA) Subrato Bagchi said the Chief Minister has done for Hockey, the same will be achieved in skills too.