Odisha

surveyed beneficiaries compared to the 2020 Rabi season. 1.91 lakh small and

marginal farmers benefited; 1.28 lakh beneficiaries could earn additional income from livestock clusters; and, more than 70,000 acres of high-value crops were sown under the programme.

In another intervention – Alternate Learning and Mentorship Programme (ALMP) – the department covered 2.5 lakh SC/ST students. It provided a platform for 4,000 teachers to have first-hand interaction with children in their community. This was an effort to make education available during the pandemic. With this continuing educational support, students returned to school when physical teaching resumed. The dropout rate was reduced.

To transform residential schools, the department launched Mission Suvidya. There was a deficit in the availability of basic amenities and infrastructure facilities and with a complete lack of database, there were no standardised assessment criteria. An independent third-party assessment of 256 hostels was conducted and management guidelines were revised. Minimum standardisation along with ISO9001:2015 certification was ensured. It benefitted approximately 27,647 ST/SC students.

Virtual Tour of Odisha State Tribal Museum implemented by Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes Research & Training Institute (SCSTRTI) has led to engaging more than lakh experts and scholars in tribal discourse from across the globe. The 360-degree virtual tour of all the galleries has transformed real-life spaces into 3D models increasing its popularity.