The Central University of Odisha recently held a two-day national seminar focusing on "National Education Policy 2020: Challenges and Opportunities" at its Sunabeda Campus.

Organised by the Department of Education in collaboration with Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal, the seminar spanned from May 1 to 2. The seminar concluded with a valedictory programme on May 2. 

The second day of the seminar commenced with an enriching session aimed at facilitating dialogue and collaboration among the Heads of Departments (HoDs) across all academic departments of CUO. Chaired by Vice-Chancellor Prof Chakradhar Tripathi and graced by national organizing secretary of Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal BR Shankaranand, the session provided a platform for HoDs to share insights and experiences on implementing NEP 2020 within their respective departments.

Former Vice-Chancellor of Sant Gahira Guru Sarguja University, Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh,Prof Rohini Prasad also added valuable insights to the discussion.

Key points emphasized during the session included the importance of social responsiveness and organizational unity for national development, cultivating fearlessness in students, and promoting a student-centric education system as envisaged in NEP 2020. Cooperation over competition was advocated, along with the alignment of university policies with the mandates of NEP 2020.

Flexibility in academic research and the prioritization of social relevance in job interviews were also highlighted. The session underscored the significance of interdisciplinary approaches, mechanisms to increase Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER), and the introduction of need-based certificate courses for experiential learning.

Furthermore, it stressed the importance of promoting integration between academia and industry and the encouragement of value-based literature and translation studies.

In the subsequent session phase, an interactive discussion continued with faculty members.