Sambalpur: A learning centre - Knowledge Hub - has come up for students to help them prepare for competitive examinations.

Set up for Rs 55 lakh, the centre has a library, an IT room with 20 computers connected to the Internet and a conference hall.

Students will enrol to use the facilities. Provisions have been made to invite educators and professionals from various disciplines for lecturers.

Local MLA Raseswari Panigrahi, who inaugurated the centre on Monday, advised the students to make use of the opportunities to prepare for competitive examinations.

Sambalpur collector Samarth Verma said competitive examination books and literature would be provided free of cost so that the students can achieve success without coaching.

Gulshan Rohila, who is in charge of the hub, said a mobile group for the students would be formed to provide information and activities.

Vice-chancellor of Sambalpur University Deepak Mishra and his counterpart in Gangadhar Meher University, Atanu Pati, lauded the efforts of the administration for providing free facilities to the students to prepare themselves for various competitive examinations.

"The hub looks nice and I will certainly visit it regularly to use the Internet and read books," said Laxmipriya Bhoi , a student of Gangadhar Meher University.

Ved Bhushan of Bargarh, who ranked 293 in the recent All India Civil Service examination, was felicitated on the occasion.

Bhushan advised the students of various universities present on the occasion to prepare daily charts for regular reading, instead of reading for long hours at a stretch.