THEBUSINESSBYTES
BUREAU
BHUBANESWAR,
JULY 15, 2026
"Your skill is
India's strength, your success is India's pride," asserted Odisha's
Minister of Industries, Skill Development and Technical Education, Sampad
Chandra Swain, while addressing the state-level celebration of World Youth
Skills Day at the Convention Centre, Lok Seva Bhawan, on Wednesday.
Reaffirming the State
Government's commitment to transforming Odisha into the country's premier hub
for skill development and technical education, the Minister urged the youth to
embrace continuous learning and equip themselves for emerging opportunities in
advanced manufacturing, digital technology, the green economy, and the service
sector.
Extending his
greetings to the successful youth of Odisha on the occasion, Swain emphasized
that skilling, re-skilling, and up-skilling have become indispensable in
today's rapidly evolving global landscape. "Today's skills will shape
tomorrow's leadership," he said, encouraging young people to dream big,
sharpen their capabilities, and contribute to nation-building through innovation
and excellence.
World Youth Skills
Day is observed globally every year on July 15 to highlight the importance of
equipping young people with employable skills. The theme for this year's
celebration, "Skills for a Shared Future," underscores the need to
develop a balanced combination of technical, digital, Artificial Intelligence
(AI), green, socio-emotional, and civic skills to enable youth to thrive in a
fast-changing world.
A major highlight of
the event was the presentation of the Chief Minister's Skill Award to 62 medal
winners of the IndiaSkills Competition 2025-26. Under the award, Gold Medal
winners received ₹2
lakh, Silver Medal winners ₹1 lakh, Bronze Medal winners ₹50,000, while
recipients of the Medallion of Excellence were awarded ₹25,000 each. Odisha's
emergence as the National Skill Champion at IndiaSkills 2025-26 by securing the
highest number of medals in the country was celebrated as a testament to the
State's robust skill development ecosystem and the exceptional talent of its
youth.
The programme also
felicitated fellows of the inaugural batch of the Chief Minister's Skill
Development Fellowship (CMSDF) for successfully completing their two-year
fellowship. Launched in 2024 by the Hon'ble Chief Minister, the fellowship has
played a pivotal role in strengthening Odisha's skill development framework at
the grassroots level. Institutional partners Tata Strive and the Indian School
of Business were honoured for their valuable guidance and continued support in
implementing the programme.
In a significant step
towards strengthening industry-academia collaboration and expanding employment
opportunities for skilled youth, several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs)
were signed with leading partner organisations, including TCS iON, Edunet Foundation,
TNAUTO, ISIEIndia, Abicor Binzel, and Yudiz Solutions. The partnerships aim to
enhance training quality, foster industry engagement, and improve employability
for students across the State.
Earlier in the day, Minister Sampad Chandra Swain and Minister of Higher Education, Sports & Youth Services and Odia Language, Literature & Culture, Suryabanshi Suraj, jointly flagged off a Skill Marathon at Kalinga Stadium. More than 500 students from the World Skill Center, Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), polytechnics, and other educational institutions participated in the marathon, reflecting the enthusiasm of Odisha's youth towards skill development and excellence.
The event was attended by Bhupendra Singh Poonia, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Skill Development and Technical Education Department; Chakraborty Singh Rathore, Director of Technical Education & Training and Skill Development-cum-Employment; Rashmi Ranjan Mohapatra, Chief Executive Officer of the World Skill Center; senior government officials; and representatives from various industry partners.
