Bhubaneswar: September 30: In another act of stirring creativity and proficiency among the Government officers, Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy felicitated the Public Relation Officer Umakanta Mohapatra for his quality research work about role of civil society, particularly voluntary organizations in rural development. Sri Tripathy said such creativity will add to professional proficiency of VOs in crating developmental awareness among the masses.
Dr Mohapatra’s Thesis entitled “Role of Voluntary Organizations (VOs) in Rural Development: An Empirical Assessment” has been notified for award of PH.D. Degree by the internationally reckoned KIIT University, Odisha. The Thesis has been highly praised by Prof Leandro Moris, State University of Sau Paulo, Brazil; Prof B.B. Mohanty, Pondichery University, India and Prof. Ranju Hasini Sahoo, Indira Gandhi National Open University, India. Dr Mohapatra conducted his research under the guidance of Prof Navneeta Rath of Utkal University and Dr Sucheta Priyabadini of KIIT University.
In difference from many earlier theorizations about voluntarism in India, Dr Mohapatra has established that organized voluntarism at community and State level existed in Odisha right from 3rd Century B.C. Unlike other parts of India, Odisha voluntarism was based on socio-patriotic issues like protection of the motherland from aggression, community action for mitigating the effects of natural calamities, developing Odia literature and breaking the caste taboos in matters of sacred text were the guiding impulses of voluntary action. Such findings differ from reports of many scholars who maintained that voluntary action until modern times was individual acts being undertaken as a part of the fulfillment of religious obligations. VOs in Odisha are mostly hybrid type and conformists. They have been successful in implementation of eight types of activities like rural housing and creation of livelihood assets, implementation of social security measures like pensions and health insurances, eradication of illiteracy, schooling of children and reduction in dropout rate, implementation of drinking water and rural sanitation schemes, promotion of sports and culture, conservation and upgrading of the natural environment. The average scoring of VOs in these eight parameters varies within the range of 65-70%. However, the grass root level organizations have to augment their efforts for people’s empowerment and creation of general developmental awareness among the people.
To his credit Dr Mohapatra has authored the books like “Social Change Themes and Perspectives” and “Rural Sociology” in co-authorship with Dr D.N. Jena ex-Vice-chancellor Culture University. Dr Mohapatra has also published nine research based articles in Scopus indexed, Copernicus indexed, Thomson Reuters indexed, ISSN standard and UGC approved journals. He edited the book “The Wonder that is Kendrapara” and also one of the leading editors of District Gazetteer, Angul.
The Additional Secretary to Government and OSD to Chief Secretary Dillip Routrai along with both the guides and senior officers from different departments joined the occasion.
