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school by government, this “learning additional ODM
space” cannot be affiliated with any schools in Bhu-
national or state government exami- baneswar (2022),
nation board. Senior students write Ranchi (2023),
the Cambridge IGCSE and A level Durgapur (2023),
exams as private candidates. “Several Angul (2024) —
of our graduates have been admitted all educationally
into prestigious universities such as under-served cities,
Ashoka, Oxford and MIT, Boston,” and most recently
she says. in Gurugram
Future plans. Encouraged by enthu- (2024). Minaketan
siastic public response to this hands- also manages the
on learning approach, the school’s Utkal Gourav In-
evangelist promoters are set to inau- ternational School
gurate a second campus at Nande, 5 which offers free-
km from DLRC, Susgaon, which will Minaketan: multi-skilled educator of-charge education
become operational in May this year. to poor, destitute
The entire senior school — classes baneswar is ranked among India’s and tribal children.
IX-XII — will be shifted to the new Top 10 day-cum-boarding schools Direct talk. “All ODM schools offer
campus which will be fully compliant and #2 in Odisha while the ODM quality English-medium education
with CBSE and Cambridge affiliation Global School is ranked among Bhu- with a balanced mix of academics,
by-laws and as such will be a govern- baneswar’s Top 5 co-ed day schools. extra-curricular and sports educa-
ment recognised school. “As our History. An English and education tion. I firmly believe that English-
name suggests, at DLRC our campus graduate of Ravenshaw College, medium education is the best
library and labs are open to the wider Cuttack who pressed on to acquire passport for social upward mobility
community. Every neighbourhood law and MBA degrees from Utkal and can break all caste, class and
deserves a DLRC,” says Meenakshi. University, in March 1989, Dr. Mina- religious barriers,” says Minaketan.
God speed. ketan began his career in education Also a social activist, he has
Paromita Sengupta teaching children in the red light established three free-of-charge
areas of Bhubaneswar. A year later in schools/institutes for tribal children
Determined educator 1990, he started the first ODM Public and women and a health centre in
Odisha. Despite this round-the-
School in a three-room rented house
with an enrolment of three children. clock activism, Minaketan has also
ducationist, philanthropist, To fund the school, he practised law authored 32 books on education,
and wellness evangelist during the day and dedicated his health and motivation under his ‘You
EDR. SATYABRATA evenings to running the school. Hav- Can’ series. A committed nature cure
MINAKETAN is founder-chairman ing studied in a vernacular — Odia enthusiast he has also established
of the Bhubaneswar-based ODM medium school and having experi- Healthville, a premium yoga and
Educational Group, comprising enced considerable communication nature hospital “serving people from
eight institutions including six difficulties, he resolved to provide all economic backgrounds.”
schools — ODM Public School and English medium education which Future plans. With the group’s new-
ODM Global School (Bhubaneswar); he considers India’s “sole acceptable est Cambridge (UK)-affiliated ODM
ODM Sapphire Global School, link language”. Moreover disillu- International School, Gurugram,
Ranchi; ODM International School, sioned with the inefficiencies of post- having admitted its first batch of
Durgapur; ODM International independence socialism he promoted students in the past academic year
School, Angul, and ODM the ODM B-school to “propagate free (2024-25), Minaketan is bent on
International School, Gurugram — a enterprise ideology.” taking his K-12 education philosophy
preschool (Kids World) and ODM With the CBSE-affiliated ODM and expertise beyond Odisha and
Business School. Together, the ODM Public School quickly establishing a eastern India. Gurugram in Delhi
institutions have 15,000 students good reputation in Bhubaneswar for NCR hosts some of the country’s
mentored by 1,500 teachers on their dispensing high-quality, balanced most capital-intensive international-
musters. education and the ODM Business ly affiliated primary-secondaries in-
Newspeg. In the latest Educa- School raising his public profile, 13 cluding Heritage Xperiential and the
tionWorld India School Rankings years later, in quick succession he Shiv Nadar School. But Minaketan is
2024-25, ODM Public School, Bhu- masterminded the promotion of confident about ODM International’s

JANUARY 2025 EDUCATIONWORLD 57