Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan unveils infra projects worth Rs 200 cr at NIT-Rourkela

Rourkela: Union minister of education Dharmendra Pradhan unveiled several infrastructure initiatives, including inauguration of an indoor sports complex and a 1,000-seater open-air theatre, along with the foundation stone laying of three projects worth over Rs 200 crore at the National Institute of Technology Rourkela, on Saturday.Odisha Legislative Assembly deputy speaker Bhabani Shankar Bhoi, along with Rourkela MLA Sarada Prasad Nayak, Raghunathpalli MLA Durga Charan Tanti and Jharsuguda MLA Tankadhar Tripathy were also present on the occasion.The event began with Pradhan inaugurating the sports complex, a Rs 35-crore state-of-the-art facility under the Student Activity Centre (SAC), designed to promote sports, fitness and holistic student development. Built to international standards, the complex houses a multipurpose hall with badminton, lawn tennis and volleyball courts, yoga, dance, music and drama halls, two double-height squash courts, basketball and badminton courts, film and photography rooms, recreational hall, snooker/billiard, table tennis, carom and chess rooms, gymnasium and other multi-purpose rooms and lockers.A 1,000-seater open-air theatre, built at Rs 6 crore, is a key part of the complex, providing a vibrant hub for athletic, cultural and recreational activities on campus.Pradhan attended the ground-breaking ceremony of the civil engineering department building being built at an estimated of Rs 91.18 crore, guesthouse for visiting academicians, industry experts, dignitaries and alumni developed at Rs 33.51 crore. A 500-seat girls’ hostel will come up at Rs 55.35 crore. Mahanadi Coalfields Limited has sanctioned Rs 43.82 crore of the total amount under its corporate social responsibility initiative.Speaking at the event, Pradhan said, “It is heartening to witness the remarkable progress of NIT-Rourkela in advancing education, research, and innovation. With its vibrant alumni community around the globe, I am confident that the Institute will play a decisive role in shaping India’s economic and industrial future.”NIT-R director Prof K Umamaheshwar Rao said, “We are honoured by the gracious presence of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan. NIT-R proudly stands ranked second among all NITs and 13th in engineering education nationwide in the National Institutional Ranking Framework 2025.”Pradhan also visited the construction site of Kendriya Vidyalaya at NIT-Rourkela.