Bhubaneswar: President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday launched two major educational initiatives in the field of skill development and research.

Gracing the sixth convocation of the IIT here as the chief guest, Kovind inaugurated the Bhubaneswar campus of Mumbai-based Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT) and performed the ground-breaking ceremony for the permanent campus of Skill Development Institute (SDI) at Jatni on the city outskirts.

Both the institutes are initiatives of the ministry of petroleum and natural gas and would boost skill development and research in the region.

The ICT will be equipped to carry out high-class research and innovation and skill development in sectors such as petrochemicals, polymers, textiles and fibres.

The ICT has requested the state government to provide 100 acres of land to set up the institute at an approximate cost of Rs 500 crore. Around 200 students will be trained at the institute.

It would provide five-year integrated MTech course, apart from a similar course for industrial personnel and PhD programmes. These courses will be launched for the first time in India.

"I am sure that the institute will become a world-class institute with latest facilities and equipment," said Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Similarly, the SDI will be the country's first institute in hydrocarbon sector. It will have its permanent campus at Taraboi, Jatni. Around Rs 500 crore will be invested in the 60-acre campus that will train around 4,000 youngsters every year in 16 trades.

"The objective is to train 50,000 youths from the state in the next 10 years, imparting them with global employability skill sets," said Pradhan.

The President was impressed with the students of IIT, Bhubaneswar, as they took their pledge at the institute's sixth convocation ceremony in Sanskrit.

"I have visited 146 institutes since I became the President of India. Normally, in most of the institutions the graduating students take their pledge either in English or in the local language. However, I saw that the outgoing students took their pledge in Sanskrit," he said. Around 150 BTech, 60 MTech, 71 MSc and 14 PhD students were awarded degrees during the ceremony.

Recalling the historic importance of the state, the President said: "This location is not an ordinary place. It is believed that Lord Rama visited this area and the Pandavas stayed here during their exile. It is here that 200 years ago Buxi Jagabandhu led the Paika bidroha (Paika rebellion). You are indeed fortunate to have your campus in such a significant area."