By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: Interesting but noteworthy. He is Prasanna Mishra, a former IAS and Union Secretary, happens to be elder brother of Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s Advisor and former DGP Prakash Mishra.
Mishra penned to social media posts regarding the new proposed Secretariat building and Godabarish Mishra Model Primary School Scheme.
Former IAS Officer Mishra wrote in X “ I think the Rs 3623 crore integrated complex the architecture of which reportedly has been inspired by New Delhi’s Central Visa project on an area of 71.13 acres in Bhubaneswar for three level underground parking and multiple 12 storey vertical Towers for Lok Seva Bhavan and the Odisha Legislative Assembly for which Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi laid the foundation stone is eminently suited for deferment,” .
‘Why I hold this view needs a clarification . Odisha Government has been moving towards paperless office . It believes and peruses a policy of outsourcing as well. Government isn’t recruiting much . I don’t think Odisha’s population has ever been inconvenienced because Babus and their vehicles didn’t have adequate office space nor were sessions of Odisha Assembly ever curtailed due to floor space of Assembly building being insufficient, he argued.
He further wrote “ The only justification I see in the proposal is the compelling surge of patriotism to award building contracts and consequently to raise the pollution level of Bhubaneswar through demolitions, digging and construction . The public never wanted such projects . No opinion poll was ever called , no public hearing held for such project,”.
‘What Bhubaneswar badly needs is another Government Hospital like the Capital Hospital on the northern side of the city . Capital Hospital is hugely overcrowded . Absence of adequate government hospitals in Bhubaneswar has forced thousands of people to get treated in highly expensive corporate hospitals . Infact it looks very likely that vested interests have been stalling establishment of new government hospitals in Bhubaneswar,” he said.
He said “ Godabarish Mishra Model Primary School Scheme was launched in Odisha . I tried to understand the scheme and explain it to my friends in my social circle including the ever inquistive and wise Bharat, my favaourite vegetable vendor,”.
‘What I understood is that it is yet another scheme of government that is explained only by how much it would cost the government. This scheme means for one Model Primary School Government would spend Rs SEVEN CRORES. This I understood is the cream and butter of the scheme. The selected school would have at least TWO Acres of land. It would teach from pre primary to class VIII and should have 100 students. Now 118 schools will be taken up. Objective is to have one in each of the 6794 Grama Panchayats of the state.
What this mega scheme would achieve was what I spent some time on to find out. And this, in brief, is what I read ,” he wrote on X.
Mishra said “ One of the key objectives of the scheme is to align early education with the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020). In particular, the focus will be on achieving foundational literacy and numeracy by Class 3, which is considered essential for long-term academic success.By prioritising these basic skills, the Odisha government aims to ensure that every student attains a minimum competency level in reading and arithmetic, setting a strong base for future learning,”.
In addition to academic excellence, the scheme will also promote holistic student development through (i) STEM-based learning (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) , (ii) Vocational training for real-world readiness. (iii) Emphasis on creativity, critical thinking, and (iv) life skills
This diverse educational approach will help prepare students not just for exams, but for life—equipping them with tools to think independently, solve problems, and contribute meaningfully to society.The success of these model schools will also rely on the active participation of parents, alumni, and local stakeholders, Mishra said.
‘Let me flag a few areas which I am anxious to be comfortable with. (i) That Odisha government aims to ensure that every student attains a minimum competency level in reading and arithmetic, setting a strong base for future learning made me wonder if the objective of primary education since it was introduced in our country was anything different. I am sure, the wise vegetable vendor, Bharat would ask me many very uncomfortable questions on this component of the NEW SCHEME. (2) Would it not mean that other 45,000– 118 = 44882 primary schools of Odisha would not teach the students minimum level in reading and arithmetic, setting a strong base for future learning. (3) Are we not favouring a miniscule number of students — 11,800 of them @ 100 per school– out of about 75 lakh primary school students of Odisha? (4) Will it finally end up in 118 imposing buildings coming up in as many Grama Panchayats to be used as landmarks ?, he added.
