Bhubaneswar: More than 170 Class XII students and vocational lecturers from govt vocational higher secondary schools in Odisha attended a five-day skill development programme at Central Tool Room and Training Centre and Institute of Hotel Management (IHM), Bhubaneswar. Organised by the school and mass education department, the programme concluded on Oct 16.Participants received hands-on training in audio-visual technology, drone piloting, catering and restaurant management to strengthen practical skills and improve employability.At the inauguration, additional director of the directorate of higher secondary education Binita Senapati highlighted the importance of vocational education in equipping students with specialised skills before they complete higher secondary education. Deputy director Jitendra Nayak stressed the role of premier institutions in delivering quality practical training, while CTTC senior manager (training) K M Rajan assured continued support for skill development.Participants from nine districts trained at CTTC, while those from five districts attended sessions at IHM. Officials from the directorate and both institutions attended the programmes.ADVIKA training for 100 adolescentsBirla Global University (BGU), Bhubaneswar, has signed an MoU with the state govt’s women and child development department to strengthen the capacities of adolescent girls and peer leaders under ADVIKA, the state’s adolescent empowerment initiative.Under the agreement, BGU will organise a six-day residential training programme for 50 adolescent girls on its campus and a four-week community-based training programme for 50 peer leaders in Nimapada block of Puri district. The initiative aims to equip participants with digital and life skills, encourage informed decision-making and prepare them to become agents of change in their communities.KKIO award for 10 US dignitariesTen distinguished personalities from Washington State, including a state senator, mayors and a city council member, were presented with the KIIT-KISS Is One (KKIO) Lifetime Achievement Award 2026 at a special programme organised at KISS on Thursday.The award recognised their outstanding contributions across various fields. The awardees included Washington State Senator Tina Louise Orwall and mayors Dana Lynn Ralph of Kent, Thomas Wayne McLeod of Tukwila, Mark Douglas Mullet of Issaquah and Joseph Daniel Marine of Mukilteo, among others.The 17-member delegation, visiting India from Oct 12 to 19 under the India Trek programme, visited KIIT and KISS and interacted with students.World Mental Health DayRegional Institute of Education (RIE), NCERT, Bhubaneswar, in collaboration with NCERT’s Manodarpan Cell, observed World Mental Health Day on Oct 10, focusing on the theme ‘Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change’.Inaugurating the programme, RIE principal Laxmidhar Behera stressed the importance of mental health, emotional well-being and counselling in educational institutions. He highlighted the role of teachers in creating inclusive, supportive and psychologically safe learning environments.He also referred to the MoU with Unesco South Asia to integrate health and well-being into pre-service teacher education.Prof Uday Nath Dash, former professor of psychology at Delhi University and Utkal University, delivered a talk titled “Every Student Matters: Talking to Their Heart and Connecting with Those Who Need Us Most”.