Bhubaneswar, Oct 5 (Reporter) Teachers will be the key drivers of a developed Odisha and a developed India in the coming days, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Saturday. Pradhan attended the distribution of appointment letters and the training programme for 16,009 teachers in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. Deputy Chief Minister KV Singhdeo, State Higher Education Minister Suryashulhi Suraj, and School and Public Education Minister Nityanand Gond were also present at the event. In his speech, Pradhan stated that in the 21st century, teachers will be the focal point of education in today’s society. He emphasised that teachers have a major responsibility in empowering and uplifting society. The Union Minister also highlighted that many great leaders like Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Pandit Gopabandhu Das, and Utkalmani Madhusudan Das have contributed to the nation under the guidance of their teachers. Pradhan further mentioned that the scientists who developed the COVID-19 vaccine are also an example of the Guru-shishya (teacher-student) tradition, as they protected the country following their teachers' principles. The Union Minister hailed the grand recruitment ceremony as a significant step towards improving the quality of education and securing a bright future for the students of Odisha. He urged the teaching community to uphold the Indian tradition of the guru-disciple relationship. Pradhan noted that there are 3,34,000 teachers in around 62,000 government and private schools in Odisha, and with the recruitment of 16,009 additional teachers today, that figure has grown further. He called upon the teachers to resolve to nurture the next generation of leaders like Baji Raut. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who handed over appointment letters to the newly recruited teachers, advised them to adopt technology in their teaching methods. He highlighted that teachers hold a special role and position in Indian culture and tradition and play a critical role in shaping the future of students in society. The Chief Minister criticised the previous government for what he saw as unnecessary spending in the name of school transformation under the 5T program, neglecting primary education, which, according to him, forms the basic foundation of a student's learning. Majhi stated that his government would establish Godabarish Adarsha Vidyalaya and implement a new scheme called “Madho Singh Haath Kharcha,” which will provide an annual incentive of Rs. 5,000 to help prevent student dropouts...////...