The share of Sainik Schools in the total intake to the National Defence Academy (NDA) has steadily increased from 16.9 % in 2003 to 25.1 % in 2007. The details are given below:-
SNo.
Year
Total intake (both terms)
No. of Sainik Schools Students
%age of Sainik Schools Students
1.
2003
602
102
16.9%
2.
2004
623
125
20.0%
3.
2005
596
114
19.1%
4.
2006
667
171
25.6%
5.
2007
643
162
25.1%
This information was given by the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri M Raja Mohan Reddy in Lok Sabha today.
Punjab National Bank (PNB) has decided to set up a Farmers’ Training Centre (FTC) in Orissa.
… "We have requested the Orissa Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik, to allot at least seven acres at a prime location, preferably in Bhubaneswar for the establishment of the farmers’ training centre. The matter is pending with the government and we are eagerly awaiting the state government’s response. As soon as we receive the state government’s nod we will start construction activities," said Bimal Prasad Sharma, zonal manager of the bank in Bhubaneswar.
The bank has urged the state government to give it the piece of land free of cost.
The other expenditure for the training centre including the construction of the building, appointment of faculty members and other staff and their salaries, infrastructure and installation of equipments to train farmers from every nook and corner of the state will be borne by the bank, said Sharma.
The bank has already established seven such farmers’ training centres in Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, where the agriculture lending of the bank is comparatively higher than Orissa.
"About 80 percent people of Orissa are depending upon agriculture sector. The farmers are not being provided with update training on modern cultivation due to lack of farmers’ training centre. We have decided to establish the centre in Orissa to help its farmers", he said.
At the proposed institute, farmers will be trained with special focus on adoption of improved farm technology, diversification of crops, specially cash crops, repair and maintenance of agriculture implements.
Besides, special training on floriculture, horticulture, pisciculture, apiculture and animal husbandry will be imparted at the centre. "It is our social corporate responsibility to stand by the needy and deserved farmers as they are the back bone of our society," he said. …
“We have provisionally selected four places in Orissa for the farmers’ training centre. Our top priority is, the land should be provided in such a location where faculty members, communication and other infrastructure are available at hand", Sharma said, adding, "Our first preference is Bhubaneswar because it is the state capital where our zonal office is located. Secondly, Bhubaneswar has Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology from where we can take faculty to impart training”.
