National Teacher’s Day observed by Vedanta Aluminium at its Operations in Odisha and Chhattisgarh
Bhubaneswar,07 September 2023: Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, celebrated National Teacher’s Day by honouring the educators who have played a pivotal role in shaping the future of the nation. The occasion was marked by a series of heartwarming activities at Vedanta Ltd., Jharsuguda in Odisha and its subsidiary BALCO, in Korba, Chhattisgarh aimed at recognizing and appreciating the contributions of teachers.
Vedanta Limited, Jharsuguda, observed National Teacher’s Day ’23 with a heartfelt ceremony in collaboration with Sarbahal Government High School. The event was graced by the presence of Mrs. Puspa Minz, District Education Officer, Jharsuguda. 22 Headmasters from various schools in Jharsuguda were felicitated during the event for their exceptional dedication and commitment, which led their students to achieve A1 grades in the HSC Examination this year.
Meanwhile, at BALCO, a series of knowledge-sharing sessions were organized across all its departments. These sessions provided employees with an opportunity to exchange insights, best practices, and expertise, fostering a vibrant atmosphere of shared learning and growth. BALCO also distributed appreciation cards to its employees, which could be filled out and presented as tokens of gratitude to individuals who had served as their teachers, mentors, or guiding lights in their professional journeys.
At Vedanta’s alumina refinery at Lanjigarh (Kalahandi district), employees celebrated the occasion with their colleagues, recognizing the contribution of professional mentors. The celebrations extended to Sundargarh district where the company’s Mines Business felicitated teachers at Mundelkhet and Ghogharpalli, for their contribution tosociety.
Vedanta Aluminium has been working to bridge the literacy divide by enabling rural communities’ access to quality education. In pursuit of this aim, the company has undertaken several high-quality educational interventions, right from supporting pre-school education to implementing e-learning programmes to address the learning gaps created by the pandemic over the past two years. These programmes have been a key enabler in increasing the average literacy level of Jharsuguda district from70.55% (2001) to 78.86% (as per last census data), benefitting more than 7,400 children till the previous academic year.
Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Sunil Gupta, COO, Vedanta Limited – Aluminium Business, said, “Education is the cornerstone of progress, and at Vedanta Ltd., Jharsuguda, we are deeply committed to supporting education in rural areas. Our initiatives aim to bridge the learning gaps and make quality education accessible to all, especially in underserved communities. National Teacher’s Day provides us with an opportunity to celebrate the dedicated educators who are shaping the future, and it reinforces our resolve to continue our efforts in nurturing a brighter tomorrow.”
Mr. Rajesh Kumar, CEO and Whole-time Director, BALCO said, “At BALCO, we understand the transformative power of education in shaping lives and communities. Through our knowledge-sharing sessions and initiatives like distributing appreciation cards, we are actively involved in fostering a culture of continuous learning and development at the workplace. Beyond the workplace, we are working towards enabling the empowerment of communities through quality education. National Teacher’s Day is a reminder of our commitment to making quality education accessible to all and expressing gratitude to those who have guided us on our educational journeys.”
Speaking on the occasion, Mrs. Puspa Minz, District Education Officer, Jharsuguda said, “I want to emphasize the utmost importance of education and the pivotal role that teachers play in nurturing the potential of young minds. Education is the key to a brighter future, and it is heartening to see organizations like Vedanta Aluminium acknowledging and honouring the educators who shape the next generation. I express my heartfelt appreciation for the efforts of Vedanta Aluminium in recognizing and celebrating the invaluable contributions of teachers to society.”
Some of the education initiatives currently being undertaken by Vedanta Aluminium include:
- Supporting more than 5,000 children’s access to early childhood education through anganwadis
- DAV Vedanta International School in Lanjigarh, which is the first English medium school set up by the company in the region
- Infrastructure development in government schools in Odisha under the ‘Mo School Abhiyaan’, an initiative by the Government of Odisha, benefiting more than 1000 students
- Vidya Graha, an e-learning program conceived to provide recorded lectures and online career counselling to students from classes 8th-10th, thus augmenting classroom learning in government schools of Jharsuguda
- Vedanta Mini Science Centres, which provide innovative models, experiments, and instruments to more than 1,200 students to enhance their aptitude and skills in learning science and mathematics in effective and interesting ways
- Vedanta Computer Literacy Programme (VCLP), which imparts basic computer literacy and training to those who do not have access to proper training on using computers
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) Education Project to impart knowledge on the basics of AI to students and build AI-based solutions for real-world problems