Archive for the ‘Progress’ Category

Vedanta University Project gets Environment Clearance

Monday, April 19th, 2010

Bhubaneswar, 17-04-2010: The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF), Govt of India has granted the Environment and CRZ Clearance to Anil Agarwal Foundation for the project recently. With this, Anil Agarwal Foundation has fulfilled another major legal requirement for establishing the university. This approval is likely to facilitate the project to move further.

Anil Agarwal Foundation is taking all efforts to establish the project as per the legal provisions of the land. The project has made it clear that it will abide by the law to set up the University. In this line, Anil Agarwal Foundation had submitted all the required reports and documents like the questionnaire, EIA, EMP and additional clarifications to get the Environmental Clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forests. After thoroughly appraising the documents and its application and realizing the importance of the project in regards to the socio-economic and educational development of the State, the Ministry has granted the clearance on 16th April, 2010. While the project is facing opposition from different fields, the Environment Clearance is expected to accelerate the process of its establishment.

 

It may noted here that, Anil Agarwal Foundation, a philanthropic organization established by Mr. Anil Agarwal, Chairman of Vedanta Resources Plc, is setting up this multi-disciplinary, world-class university near Puri. This not-for-profit University, being built on a global scale, has been envisaged as one-of-its-kind institution for higher education. Having provision for quality higher education and cutting-edge research facility in 95 academic disciplines for 1,00,000 students, this mega university will put Orissa and India distinctively on world education map. The project envisages construction of 2,73, 68, 959 sq. meters spread out over 6, 892 acres in Puri. This complex will have the university (academic block) on 1,500 acres, R&D Centre and Research Park on 1,200 acres, Olympic Class, Athletic Complex on 300 acres, Water Treatment Plant STP on 100 acres, green belt and open spaces on 1,092 acres, township for faculty and staff on 2,100 acres, Sports Complex on 100 acres and Exhibition Centre on 100 acres of land. The State Government is in the final stages of transferring about 4,000 acres of land, acquired by it for the project.

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Successful marketing of watermelon by local farmers, under the SAFAL initiative of Vedanta University Project

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

Watermelon marketing through cooperative

Puri, 30-03-2010: For the first time, farmers of Kabirajpur village, Puri have successfully sold 5.4 metric tonne of watermelon at their door step through an institutional process, at a total price of Rs. 18, 900/-, setting a benchmark in watermelon marketing in the area. This marketing has been done by the Baba Beleswar Krushak Samabaya Ltd, Chaitana, a farmers’ cooperative formed under the livelihood initiative SAFAL of Vedanta University Project with the help of ACCESS, the technical service provider. The farmers could sell watermelon at a price of Rs. 3500/- per metric tonne, as against the price of Rs. 3000/-, normally offered by the local traders. The watermelon was procured by the cooperative, which was later sold at Bhubaneswar.

The spot determination of price was done at the village itself. This marketing of watermelon was facilitated by Vedanta University Project under its SAFAL initiative. The main objective of this marketing was to avoid distress sale of watermelon, to provide a market to the small and marginal farmers at their door step and to get them some instant income in order to meet the current farming cost. The farmers’ co-operative, Baba Beleswar Krushak Samabaya Ltd could familiarize itself with the entire process of institutional marketing like, listing of the farmer’s name and the quantity of watermelon to be sold, contacting the buyer, arranging things at the watermelon collection point, listing of the sale price, etc.

This marketing process has been very encouraging to all concerned. Prashanta Nayak of Kabirajpur village, one of the farmers who has sold his watermelon says, “For the first time we have received a good price, in fact Rs. 500/- more than what the local traders offer. This marketing process has given us a lot of confidence. We have learnt how to sell our farm produce at a better price”.

It can be recalled that the main objective of the SAFAL initiative of Vedanta University Project is to increase the family income of small and marginal farmers, empower them through institutionalized community structures (farmer’s SHGs, Cooperatives, etc), facilitate their negotiation of key linkages in the value chains and thus, mainstream them. So far, 110 Farmers’ Self Help Groups (FSHGs) have been formed under this initiative comprising 1516 farmers from 23 different villages. 2 cooperatives, namely, Jaya Jagannath Krushak Samavaya Ltd and Baba Beleswar Krushak Samabaya Ltd and 6 farmers’ clubs with the support of NABARD have also been formed.

It is worth mentioning here that Vedanta University Project under the SAFAL initiative has been working immensely towards the upliftment of the farmers by providing them all technical support through ACCESS, the technical service provider for SAFAL and by organizing various facility visits of the farmers to various cooperatives so that they can learn and acquire new farming techniques for better production. Recently, Vedanta University Project’s SAFAL along with Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) organized an exposure visit for a team of 28 persons including 13 Women Self Help Groups (WSHGs), 12 Anganwadi Workers, 1 supervisor and 2 SAFAL officials to Warangal, Andhra Pradesh. During the trip, they visited the Self Help Dairy Cooperatives promoted by Cooperative Development Foundation and Wardhanapet Swakrushi Dairy Cooperative at Warangal apart from a few milk collection centers. During the visit, the members of the WSHGs gained valuable information on milk production, collection, processing and marketing. Mrs. Pramila Mohanty of Chaitana village under Gop block, a participant of the exposure trip says, “The visit has immensely helped us to facilitate and strengthen the Women dairy Cooperative that we are planning to form in the Gop block with the support of ICDS, Veterinary Department and SAFAL”.

 

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Vedanta University Project conducts capacity-building training programmes for local farmers

Friday, November 27th, 2009

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Impressive success of Vedanta University Project sponsored industrial trainees

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

27-10-2009, Puri: The Vedanta University Project sponsored trainees have done exceedingly well in their 1^st year term ending examination at Sri Industrial Training Centre, Patrapada, Bhubaneswar where  they are pursuing a two-year industrial training certificate course. Whereas the average mark scored by these trainees is more than 60 %, Sridhar Baral and Rajendra Sahoo have been able to top the list in the Electrician and Fitter trade, respectively, from amongst 126 students in each category. Expressing happiness about his success, Rajendra Sahoo of Chaittana village who has topped in the Fitter trade, says, “I am extremely thankful to Vedanta University Project for giving us the opportunity to pursue such a professional course. We are sure that with sincere efforts we can find good jobs and do well in life.” Sridhar Baral of Kantigorada village, who has topped in the Electrician trade, nods in agreement.

Since last year, 38 young people from the project impacted families have been sponsored by the Vedanta University Project of Anil Agarwal Foundation for a two-year industrial training course at Sri Industrial Training Centre, Bhubaneswar.  Out of these 38 sponsored students, 19 have been admitted in the Electrician trade and the remaining 19 have been admitted in the Fitter trade. The main objective of this initiative is to equip these youths with some employment oriented technical skills so that they can find better earning opportunities. This is part of the on-going community development/empowerment initiatives of the Vedanta University project and Anil Agarwal Foundation is taking care of all expenses of these sponsored students. These students have been doing quite well in their studies and extracurricular activities, and their performance in the regular monthly examinations has been impressive also.

Along with the technical training and the usual extracurricular activities like sports and yoga, care is also taken to develop the personality of the students and their social consciousness, by involving them in various community welfare programmes. As the Principal of the industrial training centre says, “The idea of this training is not only to provide technical education to the students but also to develop their soft skills for an improved personality. That is why, these students are actively taking part in activities like blood donation, flood relief, etc”. As part of their training programme, the students are also sent on exposure trips to different organizations in order to gain hands-on job experience. During the last academic term, the students of Fitter Trade have visited Hirakud Power Project and the students of Electrician Trade have visited Gopalpur Port.

It may be noted here that Anil Agarwal Foundation, a not-for-profit philanthropic organization established by the Chairman of Vedanta Resources Plc, is setting up a world class, multidisciplinary University near Puri that will provide quality higher education to 100, 000 students in 95 academic disciplines. While endeavouring to build this University, the Vedanta University Project of Anil Agarwal Foundation is also taking up various community development initiatives in the areas of health, education, livelihood, peripheral development, sports and culture, in order to enrich the life of the people residing in the vicinity. The much appreciated SAFAL (Sustainable Action for Farmers’ Livelihood) and the provision of industrial training for the youths of project impacted families, are amongst the initiatives currently undertaken in the livelihood sector. The success of Vedanta University Project sponsored industrial trainees underscores the point that given the right opportunity, people and especially the youth will be able to make good use of their talent and do well in life.

For more information, please contact:

Kishore Chandra Das

Head, Communications

Contact No. : 9437012258

E-mail id: Kishore.das@vedanta.edu.in

 

Ashis Kumar Acharya

Public Relations Officer

Contact No. : 9937107444

E-mail id: ashis.acharya@vedanta.edu.in

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VUP sponsors fresh batch of students to study at DAV School, Puri

Wednesday, August 19th, 2009

Puri, 19-08-2009: Vedanta University Project of Anil Agarwal Foundation has sponsored a fresh batch of 139 children from the project impacted villages, to study in DAV Public School at Puri in the current academic session of 2009-10. Out of them, 100 have joined the DAV Oriya medium school and 39 have joined the DAV English medium school, passing the entrance test and fulfilling all criteria for admission. With the induction of these 139 children, the total number of Vedanta University Project sponsored students studying in DAV Public school, Puri, has risen to 414. Total number of students studying in the DAV English medium school has thus risen to 140 and the total number of students studying in the DAV Oriya medium school has gone up to 274. This is very much in line with the commitment of Vedanta University Project to facilitate quality education for 500 children from the project impacted villages. Some more students are expected be admitted in the next phase.

Like the 275 children admitted last year, all the newly admitted students are being provided with free school bags, uniforms, shoes, books and water bottles so as to make them ready and eager  for regular schooling. Four 40-seater buses have been provided, since last year, for the transport of these students from their respective villages to school and back. Vedanta University Project is bearing all the educational expenses of these children. Nutritious mid-day meal is also provided to all the students of DAV school, since last year. As of now, the daily mid-day meal scheme caters to as many as 830 students.

Vedanta University Project has also contributed towards the improvement of infrastructure in the existing DAV school at Puri, including construction of a new block of classrooms. It is worth mentioning here that on the initiative of the Vedanta University Project of Anil Agarwal Foundation, an Oriya medium school, named DAV High School, has been started by the DAV society at Puri since last year. This school is catering to the educational needs of a majority of children from the Vedanta University Project impacted villages.

At present, the Oriya medium school is functioning in the same premises as the English medium school. But the University project of Anil Agarwal Foundation has plans to construct a separate building of 10,000 sq ft on 3 acres of land, for this new school. This new school will have all facilities like modern classrooms, staff room, laboratory, library, activity room, computer room, toilets as well as space for sports and games.

It may be recalled that Vedanta University Project of Anil Agarwal Foundation has signed an MOU with the DAV society to provide quality education to 500 children from the project impacted villages. The main objective of this initiative is to provide quality education to the children of the project impacted villages so that they can have better opportunities for progress in life and  can also join the world class Vedanta University later.

 

For queries, please contact:

Kishore Chandra Das

Head, Communications

9437012258

kishore.das@vedanta.edu.in

 

Ashis Kumar Acharya

Public Relations Officer

9937107444

ashis.acharya@vedanta.edu.in

 

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Setting the stage for optimum medical education

Monday, April 13th, 2009

Puri, 12-4-09: A national seminar on “Optimum medical education & ethics in clinical practice” has been organised by Vedanta University on 5 April at Bhubaneswar. It marked the launch of the multi-specialty hospital as part of the Vedanta University project near the Puri-Konark marine drive in Orissa. The seminar was quite contextual given the fact that of late there has been a lot of disillusionment in public mind about the quality of medical education, what with so many medical colleges mushrooming. At the same time, with growing public awareness, questions about clinical practices, doctors’ services and the expenses involved are also cropping up now and then. If medical education is to keep up with the ever-expanding frontiers of medical research and clinical technology, something appropriate surely needs to be done. Allied with this is the issue of quality, accessibility and affordability of medical education. These were the issues and concerns that the national seminar sought to address, bringing together some of the stalwarts and leading lights of medical education and profession.

Padma Bibhushan Prof. Dr. M V S Valiathan, world renowned Cardiac Surgeon and Professor of Cardiology presided over the seminar in which Padma Bhushan Prof. Dr. N K Ganguly, Advisor, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Govt of India; Dr Vasantha Muthuswamy, Member, Central Ethics Committee on Human Research, UNESCO,UNAIDS & Founder Secretary, Forum for Ethics Review Committees in Asia-Pacific; Dr G D Ravindran, Professor of Medicine & Medical Ethics, St John’s National Academy of Health Sciences, Bangalore; Dr S K Sarin, Professor & Director, Gastroenterology, G B Pant Hospital, New Delhi; Dr Omkar Nath Mohanty, Vice Chancellor, Biju Pattnaik University of Technology, Orissa; Jean Mah, Principal & Healthcare Planner, Perkins+Wills Health Design Group were the main speakers. In keeping with the theme of the seminar, presentations were made on topics like Excellence in Medical Education, Ethics in Medical Research, Clinical Ethics and Interdisciplinary Study in Medicine. The interactive seminar was attended by more than a hundred distinguished doctors and educationists.

As expected, the quality of presentations was exceptional and the ideas generated were quite engaging, conforming to the ‘out-of-box solutions’ that Dr Valiathan mentioned in his keynote address. There was a general agreement on the urgent need to make medical education more qualitative, accessible and innovative as well as to make it affordable. Not only medical education needs to be in sync with contemporary and futuristic thinking and practices, the issues of health economy and biomedical or clinical practices also need to be in tune with the social context. The seminar was coordinated by Dr K P Misra, cardiologist of international repute and Dr Dipika Mohanty, the award winning former Director of the Institute of Immunohaematology, ICMR, Mumbai. Among other things, the seminar generated a lot of interest in Vedanta University’s upcoming world class multi-specialty hospital and the school of medical sciences that will be based on the core objectives of service, training and research. 

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Vedanta University to Bring World-Class Medical Care to Orissa

Monday, April 6th, 2009

• Vedanta University announces the launch of 500-bed multi-specialty hospital
• Estimated cost is about Rs. 400 crore
• The hospital will commence services in 2011
• High-quality patient care affordable to the common man
• The Not-for-Profit institution is an initiative of the Anil Agarwal Foundation

April 5, Bhubaneswar:  Vedanta University today announced the launch of a world-class teaching and research hospital.  The hospital will address a long standing need for comprehensive healthcare services for the people of the region.

The University hospital, which will be built near the Puri-Konark marine drive, will be distinctive with its world-class facilities and infrastructure.  The hospital will place equal emphasis on patient care, research, and teaching.  It will be staffed by renowned doctors from India and abroad.   A Not-for-Profit institution, the University Hospital is committed to providing high-quality care at a cost affordable by the common man. Commending this initiative, eminent Indian cardiologist Dr. K.P. Misra said “the hospital will serve as a regional hub for critical specialties including cardiology and diabetology. As a teaching and research hospital, it will attract leading researchers and specialists in medical science from around the globe. The University’s research agenda will prioritize public health solutions that address the most prevalent medical issues in the region.”

On the occasion of the launch of the Vedanta University hospital project, a national seminar on “Optimum Medical Education and Ethics in Clinical Practice” was organized at Bhubaneswar.   The national conference was addressed by leaders in medical science of international repute, including Padma Vibhushan Professor M.S. Valiathan and Padma Bhushan Professor N.K. Ganguly.

The conceptual planning and design of the hospital has been prepared by the leading US-based hospital design firm Perkins + Will, who have previously designed state-of-the-art teaching and research hospitals at institutions such as Johns Hopkins University and the University of California at Los Angeles. “The 500-bed multi-specialty hospital will commence during the first phase of the University. Orders for construction have already been placed with Larsen & Toubro Limited,” added Sanjeev Anand Zutshi, Director of the project.

The University has already initiated research programs with local relevance.  Dr. Dipika Mohanty, a recipient of the Biju Patnaik award for Excellence in Science and Technology, has begun a Vedanta University-sponsored research project on interventions that can address the disproportionate prevalence of anemia in infants and children of Orissa.

The Vedanta University Hospital is a cornerstone of the institution’s larger commitment to serving public needs.  Students and faculty across disciplines will be encouraged to engage with local challenges, search for solutions that contribute to the development of Orissa, and pursue research priorities that have real impact on the lives of people.  In addition to initiatives in Medicine, the first phase of the University will include schools of Education, Arts & Sciences, Engineering, Management, and Nursing.    The hospital and initial academic programs will begin in 2011.

For further details, please contact:

Kishore Chandra Das

Head, Communications

Contact No. - 9437012258

E-mail id: kishore.das@vedanta.edu.in

Ashis Kumar Acharya

Public Relations Officer

Contact No. - 9937107444

E-mail id: ashis.acharya@vedanta.edu.in

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Vedanta University Floriculture Project Kindles Hope

Saturday, March 28th, 2009

Puri, 25-03-09:  Surath Baral of Kantigoroda, Udayanath Pradhan of Kantasila, Dusasana Swain of Goindal, Manakrushna Barik of Chalisbhatia and some others like them have a story they can’t wait to tell. They came, they saw and they are about to conquer! Well, it is their poverty, a mundane hand-to-mouth existence despite all hard work that they are sure to overcome. “Aau asubidha haba nahin. Eniki manisha bes dui paisa kamei pariba aau bhalare banchi pariba (No more hardships. One can earn quite well henceforth and lead a better life)”, says Surath and his friends agree. Actually, they are part of the farmers’ G-20 that has been successfully trained recently in marigold cultivation. This training programme conducted by Mrs Babita Mishra, Subject Matter Specialist (Horticulture) from Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Kakatpur of Puri district is part of the farmers’ livelihood initiative SAFAL, undertaken by the Vedanta University Project and the Anil Agarwal Foundation.

These farmers and their villages belong to the Puri-Konark area of Orissa where the world class Vedanta University is going to be built by Anil Agarwal Foundation, a philanthropic organisation established by the Chairman of Vedanta Resources Plc, Mr Anil Agarwal. Under SAFAL, acronym for Sustainable Action for Farmers’ Livelihood, the local farmers are being encouraged to move away from the low paying, traditional paddy cultivation and to take to more paying options like floriculture, vegetable (tomato and water melon) cultivation, pulses (green gram and black gram) and oilseeds (sunflower and groundnut) cultivation and dairy. The main objective of SAFAL is to increase the income of small and marginal farmers, empower them to organize into institutionalized community structures (farmer’s Co-operatives, SHGs, etc), facilitate their negotiation of key linkages in the value chains and thus, mainstream them.

As far as floriculture is concerned, the rationale is that flowers worth thousands of rupees are coming to Puri market daily from outside Orissa. Apart from some typical flowers used in the rituals of Lord Jagannath that are locally grown, none of these flowers are locally grown or supplied. Thus, farmers and suppliers from outside Orissa are making money. If, instead, the local farmers take to floriculture, they already have a ready and lucrative market. Therefore, local farmers like Surath, Dusasana and others are so enthusiastic about floriculture. They are to take up marigold and gladiolus cultivation that is more suited to the local soil and climatic conditions. The training programme on marigold cultivation is a successful step in that direction and demo cultivation of marigold that is going on in villages like Rahangiria, Kantasila and Kantigoroda, is already showing encouraging results.

A district level workshop on value chain analysis has also been held recently at Puri, under the aegis of Vedanta University Project of Anil Agarwal Foundation. The objective of this workshop was to share the findings of subsector value chain analysis of important crops/agricultural commodities in SAFAL operational villages. The SAFAL team had undertaken the subsector value chain analysis of six major crops/agricultural commodities like flowers, green gram, black gram, groundnut, sunflower and milk. The analysis has found that in order to improve the yield from floriculture and other cash crops and to ensure increased income for the farmers, the weak linkages in the value chain need to be strengthened. And for this, all concerned stakeholders, Govt departments, banks and marketing institutions should coordinate with each other. Findings of the study were discussed by the representatives of district level Govt departments like Agriculture, Horticulture, Irrigation and those of banks who participated in the workshop along with officials of Vedanta University Project and ACCESS, the partnering NGO. Assurance of all possible support from the participants has boosted the morale of the farmers. This, along with the commitment for community development reiterated by Mr Sanjeev Anand Zutshi, Director, Vedanta University Project has further heightened the upbeat mood. No wonder, when Surath talks of a new house, his children’s education and at least a bike for himself, others like him happily nod their heads in unison.

For further details please contact:

Kishore Chandra Das
09437012258
kishore.das@vedanta.edu.in

Ashis Kumar Acharya
09937107444
ashis.acharya@vedanta.edu.in

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Vedanta University Provides Infrastructure for DAV Oriya Secondary School at Puri

Thursday, February 19th, 2009

Puri, 12-2-09: In keeping with its intent to serve the society and to provide quality education to the children of the project impacted villages, Vedanta University Project has decided to provide a new building and all necessary infrastructure facilities to the DAV Oriya secondary school at Puri. On the initiative of the Vedanta University Project of Anil Agarwal Foundation, this Oriya medium school, named DAV High School, has been started by the DAV society for the first time in Orissa. This school will cater to the educational needs of children from the Vedanta University Project impacted villages.

Vedanta University Project will provide 3 acres of land with the fully constructed school building of 10000 sq ft. The school will have all facilities like modern classrooms, staff room, laboratory, library, activity room, space for sports & games, computer room, toilets and the like that a model school must have. Basic amenities like water, electricity, furniture, etc will also be there so as to create a benchmark ambience. Before this, Vedanta University Project has also contributed towards the improvement of infrastructure in the existing DAV English medium school at Puri, including construction of a new block.

It may be recalled that Vedanta University Project of Anil Agarwal Foundation has signed an MOU with the DAV society to provide quality education to 500 children from the project impacted villages.  On the basis of this arrangement, 101 children are already studying in the DAV English medium school at Puri. As per the wishes of local community, an MOU was also signed with DAV to start the Oriya medium school and so far 174 children have been admitted there. Vedanta University Project of Anil Agarwal Foundation is paying for the education of these children in the DAV school and all of them are being provided free school uniforms, bags, books and study materials. Four school buses have also been provided for their transportation. Apart from all this, Anil Agarwal Foundation is also providing freshly cooked nutritious meals daily and free of cost, to all the students of DAV School, Puri.

Such people friendly and community development measures implemented by the Vedanta University Project of Anil Agarwal Foundation have been widely appreciated by the local people and the intelligentsia.

For more details, please contact:

Mr. Kishore Chandra Das
Head, Communications
kishore.das@vedanta.edu.in
9437012258
Ashis Kumar Acharya
Public Relations Officer
ashis.acharya@vedanta.edu.in
9937107444

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