Laying the foundation stone for three permanent buildings during the 12th Foundation Day ceremony of the Central University of Odisha, Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' on Saturday hailed the new National Education Policy (NEP), saying it will bring back the "old glory" of the country.

Recalling the time when people from other countries came to India for studies, Pokhriyal said, "Now it's time to achieve that type of education through the new education policy."

Urging the varsity community to focus more on research and development, Pokhriyal congratulated the Central University of Odisha for rising to the occasion and becoming one of the prominent universities of the country within a few years.

The minister praised the efforts of the university during the Covid-19 period for launching the 'Bharosa' programme, which helped a lot of students in overcoming the pandemic trauma through counselling.

He also praised the university for successfully conducting the home-based open book examination.

Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who was also present in the virtual ceremony, stressed on the need for more collaborative efforts by the university for achieving greater heights.

The foundation day lecture was delivered by Sanjeev Sanyal, Principal Economic Adviser, Government of India..