Bhubaneswar: There is no age bar for pursuing education as 57 year old Angad Kanhar, ruling BJD MLA from Phulbani on Friday appeared for the offline annual High School Certificate examination.
The offline examination which could not be conducted for the last two years due to covid pandemic in the state was conducted by the Board of Secondary Education Odisha on Friday . Kanhar could not complete Class X due to certain family problems.
The BJD MLA said he decided to appear for the high School certificate exam after he learnt that many people are appearing for the exam even at the age of 50 and above. The MLA had appeared for the Class X examination at AJO High School in Phulbani way back in 1978 but could not clear it.
He is appearing for the exam under the State Institute of Open schooling (SIOS) Mission launched by the government with an objective to provide education to all with special concern for dropout girls, women and deprived rural and urban youths, working men and women, SC/ST, differently abled persons and other disadvantaged person who could not continue their formal education or could not pass the HSC examination.
The SIOS was established in 2015 and made operational in seven districts of the State on pilot basis. In 2016-17 the facilities were extended to all 30 districts of the State.
The MLA entered the examination hall like other students in Rujangi High School at Pithabari village under Phulbani block of Kandhamal district after fulfilling all formalities to appear the examination Rujangi High School Headmistress Archana Bas said altogether 63 students including Kanhar and a Sarpanch who happened to be a friend of the MLA sat for the examination on Friday.Â
