AICTE awards Bhubaneswar-based Siksha 'O' Anusandhan for creating COVID-19 awareness

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has awarded Bhubaneswar-based Siksha 'O' Anusandhan (SOA) Deemed to be University for creating awareness about the COVID-19 pandemic. Union Minister for Education Ramesh Pokhriyal and AICTE Chairman Prof Anil Sahasrabudhe has conferred the institute with the 'Utkrisht Sansthan Vishwakarma Award' in a virtual ceremony held in New Delhi on Thursday.

Prof Ashok Kumar Mahapatra, the vice-chancellor of the institute, said on Saturday, "Our institute has focused on various aspects to combat COVID-19. We are making efforts like COVID-19 awareness, public service etc." The SOA has been awarded as the institute conducted extensive awareness programmes involving its different faculties, doctors and students to educate the people about the pandemic and methods to ward off the infection in different parts of Bhubaneswar and its neighbouring villages. The focus was on making the people aware of hand wash techniques, wearing masks and practicing social distancing.

"From February onwards, we have conducted lectures, awareness programs at villages. Even our staff is actively involved in the process. They are talking about the virus to create awareness among people through electronic media," Mahapatra said. "Our concern was to control the spread of the virus as we know India has seen a surge in the number of coronavirus cases. We are seeing some positive results in Odisha," he added.

The institute has contributed to the efforts of the Odisha government in battling the deadly virus by running four dedicated COVID Hospitals and two COVID Care Centres having a total of 2,200 beds. A standalone COVID Hospital with 725 beds, the largest in the state, is being run by SOA at Bhubaneswar while it was operating three other hospitals at Chandpur, Kendrapara and Talcher. The SOA-run COVID Care Centres are functioning at Jamujhari (500 beds) and Jatni (300 beds). All the hospitals are fully equipped to deal with the disease including ventilators.