New Delhi, Jan. 8: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday reiterated the Centre’s commitment to strengthening Odisha’s school education system, in line with the vision of ‘Samruddha Odisha’ (Developed Odisha) by 2036.

Together with Minister of School and Mass Education, Govt. of Odisha, Shri @NityanandaBJP ji, senior officials of Dept. of School and Mass Education @SMEOdisha and @EduMinOfIndia held a meeting to learn more about the educational priorities of Odisha, NEP implementation,… pic.twitter.com/I5DYLn686X

— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) January 8, 2026

In a post on X, Minister Pradhan said he held a meeting with Odisha’s Minister of School and Mass Education, Nityananda Gond, along with senior officials from the Department of School and Mass Education, Government of Odisha as well as the Ministry of Education, Government of India.

The discussions focused on Odisha’s educational priorities, implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP), development of new textbooks based on the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE), and progress of centrally sponsored schemes.

The meeting also addressed strategies to reduce school drop-outs and ensure that quality education becomes more inclusive and equitable across the state.

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Pradhan emphasised that the Modi government remains committed to supporting Odisha in transforming its school education landscape.

“(I) assured Minister Nityananda ji that PM Narendra Modi ji’s Govt. remains committed to fulfil Odisha’s educational priorities, transform the school education landscape and provide all support for translating the vision of a future-ready and #SamruddhaOdisha by 2036 into reality,” Pradhan wrote on X.

Officials noted that the discussions are part of ongoing efforts to strengthen collaboration between the Centre and states in implementing NEP 2020, with a focus on curriculum reforms, digital learning, and inclusive education.

Earlier in the day, Minister Pradhan called on Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to share the aspirations of the education sector and discuss proposals for transforming India’s school and higher education ecosystem ahead of the Union Budget 2026-27.