High school transformation in Odisha, transforming farming in Jharkhand, and roadside libraries for young people–our top social stories

In Odisha, 8,800 high schools are getting a makeover as part of the government’s 5T High School Transformation Programme. It’s giving a new fillip to higher school education with smart classrooms, a STEM-focused curriculum, increased sports facilities, and other amenities.

Launched in 2021, the 5T High School Transformation Programme, covering ninth and tenth standards in government schools, was conducted in three phases. Led by VK Pandian, former IAS officer and Secretary to CM-Transformational Initiatives, it aims to create young leaders of tomorrow by giving less-privileged students access to the benefits of digital education.

In the next phase, higher secondary schools and colleges will be transformed by May 2024, and the government will focus on 30,000 primary schools in its next term. In fact, the programme has already kicked off in Hinjli, the CM’s constituency. SocialStory was on the ground, visiting two schools in Puri, and Kushavadra to witness the transformation first-hand. Read the report here.

Transforming farming in rural Jharkhand

People living on the undulating terrain of Gumla district in Jharkhand, about 100 km away from Ranchi, largely relied on rain-fed agriculture for sustenance. Farmers in the poverty-stricken area would sell paddy produce at a meagre earning of Rs 16 or Rs 17 per kg. When Sushant Gaurav was posted in the area as Deputy Commissioner (DC) in February 2022, he realised that paddy cultivation was unsustainable and didn’t suit the place.

The 2014-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer wanted to create a more sustainable agricultural system which involved lower risk and better gain. He began convincing farmers to switch to ragi (finger millet), which can withstand dry spells and has high nutritional value. It can also be used to make products to sell in the market.

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Roadside libraries for young people

In 2014, Arunachal sisters Ngurang Meena and Reena started the Ngurang Learning Institute to equip women and young children with education and life skills. During the pandemic, they started the Street Library Initiative which has installed 26 free-standing libraries in three districts of the state. In 2020, during the pandemic, Meena had to suspend NLI’s operations and close its library, but that did not leave her despondent or her work unfinished. Meena set up the first street library—a makeshift structure comprising shelves by the roadside in Nirjurli with Rs 10,000 worth of books–a standing library for children to borrow, free of cost.

In other positive news…

Small efforts towards positive change

Mandeep Singh Sidhu’s work goes beyond just policing. An IPS officer of the Punjab cadre, his life is filled with diverse activities–all undertaken with social impact in mind.

According to a report in The New Indian Express, Sidhu organises cycle rallies against drug abuse, arranges scholarships for daughters of the deceased and helps in the construction of skating and boxing rings for the youth, besides promoting the Punjabi language.

Singh is currently posted as Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police (HQ). According to the report, the officer organised the biggest cycle rally in Asia against drugs in Ludhiana where he was posted as Police Commissioner. The event saw 25,000 people participating out of which 10,000 were young people, and included school children. The rally also made it to the Asia Book of Records and India Book of Records.