- Hon’ble Minister Dr Pradeep Bal Samanta, awarded the meritorious students
- Three-day annual event kicked off at Sukinda
- Over 5,000 Community Members Engaged Since 2017
The 9th edition of Arunima, a community-focused initiative of Tata Steel Foundation (TSF), kicked off at the Sukinda College here on Wednesday. The three-day programme which will continue from January 28 to 30, 2026 brings together youth, women, and farmers from across the Jajpur region.
The event was graced by Hon’ble Minister of Cooperation, Handlooms and Textiles departments, Government of Odisha, Dr Pradeep Bal Samanta, along with senior leaders and dignitaries including Shubhranshu Puhan, Block Education Officer, Danagadi; Subhash Chandra Rout, Teacher awarded by the President of India.
Speaking on the occasion Hon’ble Minister Dr Pradeep Bal Samanta said, “It is heartening to note that Tata Steel Foundation is making consistent efforts at stepping up education and overall development of communities in the Jajpur ecosystem. Over time, these have helped to establish last mile connects. I look forward to many more years of Arunima and continued engagement of the Foundation for the betterment of our communities.”
Echoing the same, Debanjan Mukherjee, Cluster Head, Tata Steel Foundation – Kalinganagar, said, “Over the past nine years, Arunima has helped identify youth and meritorious students who have leveraged the Jyoti Fellowship to fulfil their aspirations and become academically aware and socially responsible. This platform continues to lend a voice to last-mile students in the Kalinganagar ecosystem.”
The programme began with an Education Conclave on January 28, during which over 300 meritorious SC/ST students were felicitated with the Jyoti Fellowship. This fellowship recognises academic excellence among students from economically weaker families and supports them pursue higher education.
Between 2021 and 2026, the Jyoti Fellowship has supported 10,471 meritorious students from Bamnipal, Sukinda, and Kalinganagar. This includes 6,456 girls and spans three districts, six blocks, 100 Gram Panchayats, 179 schools, and 24 colleges.
As part of Arunima, a Women’s Conclave will be held on January 29, bringing together Disha women from the Keonjhar–Sukinda ecosystem to deliberate on women’s leadership, empowerment, and community-led water initiatives.
The event will conclude on January 30 with an Agriculture Conclave, where farmers from the region will interact with experts on Integrated Farming Systems (IFS) and climate-resilient agricultural practices.
Sushanta Kumar Mishra, Executive-In-charge, Ferro Alloys & Minerals Division, Tata Steel; Debdoot Mohanty, Chief, Corporate Services, Tata Steel Kalinganagar, Prashant Nanda, Chief, Human Resource Officer, Neelachal Ispat Nigam Limited; V. Sridevi, Chief, Ethics Counsellor, Tata Steel Foundation, Jiren Topno, Head, Tribal Identity and Urban Services, Tata Steel Foundation and Debanjan Mukherjee, Cluster Head, Tata Steel Foundation, Kalinganagar were present at the inaugural event of the programme.
