Nabarangpur: The district-level ‘Pravesh Utsav and Khadi Chhuan Programme – 2025’ was celebrated at the local Ex-Board Primary School in Nabarangpur. As per the National Education Policy 2020, from the 2nd of this month, all primary schools across the state have commenced Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) along with admission festivals and Khadi Chhuan (chalk-touching) ceremonies.
Children aged 6 years have been enrolled in Class 1, and those aged 5 in pre-primary (Shishu Batika) classes across various schools in the district. The event held at the Nabarangpur Ex-Board Primary School was inaugurated by the Minister of School and Mass Education, Shri Nityananda Gond.
The minister emphasized the state’s commitment to improving education through the “Educated Students, Developed Odisha” initiative and the implementation of the new education policy.
Distinguished guests included Nabarangpur MLA Gauri Shankar Majhi, District Collector Dr. Shubhankar Mahapatra, Municipality Chairperson Kunu Nayak, District Education Officer Chhatrapati Sahu, and Cluster Education Officer Ramesh Ray.
During the event, 12 children were admitted to the pre-primary section and 5 children to Class 1. Minister Gond personally held the children on his lap and performed the symbolic “Khadi Chhuan” (touching chalk for the first time) ritual. The District Collector, MLA, and Chairperson also participated in this gesture, holding the children and guiding their first chalk strokes on slates.
Each child was gifted educational materials including school bags, slates, notebooks, drawing books, color boxes, compasses, and chalk packets.
At the end of the event, the dignitaries released three ‘Pravesh Utsav’ theme songs in local dialects, which will be widely promoted throughout the district’s blocks and urban areas via an awareness rath (chariot).
The school has also established dedicated classrooms for literacy, numeracy, and creativity development. Later, the honorable minister flagged off awareness raths for 10 blocks to spread educational awareness.
Various departmental officials, media representatives, and parents attended the event, supported by staff from Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan and the District Education Office.