Kalahandi: Panchanan Duria, a college lecturer from Dharmagarh block in Kalahandi district, has been nominated for the ‘Best Language Teacher of the Year’ award at the International Education Award 2019.
Duria’s initiative has made hundreds of rural young men comfortable in speaking English. He along with his classmate Lingaraj Pradhan from English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) in Hyderabad and Bhakta Charan Bhoi started teaching English in the year 2013 to rural young men with a mission to bring them at par with their urban counterparts.
It was started on an experimental basis but the number of students enrolled for the programme encouraged them to work further on the mission. Years passed and more and more students and faculties across the state and nation joined the mission.
With minimum fees for the one month programme, which is held mostly during summer vacation or Durga Puja vacations, Duria and his friends have managed to train hundreds of young men and women. A large part of the expenses for the training are being borne by Duria and his team from their personal funds.
PNN