Pradhan lays RISHI foundation at OSOU, urges skill-based education
Dharmendra Pradhan laid the foundation stone for the RISHI building at OSOU, launched two teacher‑training courses and stressed the need to bridge the gap between academic degrees and employability.
Former Union minister and Sambalpur MP Dharmendra Pradhan laid the foundation stone for the Residential Internship and Skill Hub for Industry (RISHI) building at Odisha State Open University in Sambalpur on Saturday, September 5, 2026, Teachers’ Day. He also launched two new courses — Self-Healthcare & Wellness and AI Tools for Collaborative Learning — aimed at enhancing teachers’ skills. Pradhan said the biggest challenge facing education is eliminating the gap between academic degrees and employability, urging a shift toward practical, industry‑aligned training.
What is the RISHI project and what training will it provide?
Pradhan laid the foundation stone for the Residential Internship and Skill Hub for Industry (RISHI) building at Odisha State Open University in Sambalpur. He said the project would provide students with practical training aligned with industry requirements and help make them self-reliant. He added that, amid global instability and supply‑chain disruptions, youths should be encouraged to become job creators rather than merely job seekers, quoting him: “At a time when global instability and disruptions in supply chains are affecting employment opportunities, youths need to be encouraged to become job creators rather than merely job seekers.”
Which new courses were launched for teachers and what is their focus?
On the occasion of Teachers’ Day, Pradhan launched two new contemporary courses — Self-Healthcare & Wellness and AI Tools for Collaborative Learning. He said these courses are aimed at enhancing teachers’ skills.
How does Pradhan propose to develop Sambalpur as a skill laboratory?
Pradhan announced plans to develop Sambalpur as a skill laboratory, with OSOU offering short-term, employment-oriented courses to rural youths who are unable to pursue regular school or college education. He said the initiative would help equip local youth with job‑ready abilities.
What are the plans for audio‑visual laboratories and content creator training?
He also said audio‑visual laboratories would be established over the next few years to train around 1,250 content creators and influencers. These individuals would use social media to showcase the culture, lifestyle, traditions, natural beauty, temples and rural economy of their villages to audiences across the world.
What did Pradhan say about the Amrit Peedhi and OSOU’s growth?
Pradhan said nearly one crore young people in Odisha, constituting around a quarter of the state’s population, belong to the ‘Amrit Peedhi’ and will shape the state’s future over the next century. He added that the RISHI project would serve as a bridge to make this generation skilled and self-reliant. Recalling OSOU’s difficult beginnings, he noted the university, established in Sambalpur in 2015, struggled during its first eight years and was left with little beyond a building. Following government intervention, Rs 20 crore was sanctioned under the PM-USHA scheme for infrastructure development, and the university now has around 40,000 students after starting with virtually no admissions.
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Who laid the foundation stone for the RISHI building at OSOU?
Former Union minister and Sambalpur MP Dharmendra Pradhan laid the foundation stone for the RISHI building at Odisha State Open University in Sambalpur.
What two new courses were launched by Dharmendra Pradhan at OSOU?
He launched the Self-Healthcare & Wellness and AI Tools for Collaborative Learning courses aimed at enhancing teachers’ skills.
What did Pradhan identify as the biggest challenge facing the education system?
He said the biggest challenge is eliminating the gap between academic degrees and employability.
How many young people in Odisha belong to the Amrit Peedhi according to Pradhan?
Nearly one crore young people in Odisha, about a quarter of the state’s population, belong to the Amrit Peedhi.
What are the planned audio‑visual facilities at OSOU and how many people will they train?
Audio‑visual laboratories will be set up over the next few years to train around 1,250 content creators and influencers.
Debraj Meher
District Correspondent, Sambalpur
Debraj Meher reports on Sambalpur district's civic affairs, the Hirakud dam command area, and the region's handloom economy. He has been the Mirror's Sambalpur correspondent since 2021.
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