Bhubaneswar : Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik has Thursday said that the State Government is taking up various steps to develop a vibrant higher education eco-system in the state. He said this during an induction programme for non-teaching staff for different government colleges in the state. As many as 334 new recruits today joined the state government colleges out which 291 are Laboratory Assistants, 25 Junior Librarians and 18 Physical education Teachers. An orientation programme was organized at State Convention Centre in Loka Seva Bhawan. Joining the programme on virtual platform, the Chief Minister said that in the recent past, over one thousand Professors, Associates Professors, Assistant Professors and Junior Lectures have been recruited in different Government and Non-Government Colleges. This has helped in increasing the Student-Teacher Ratio in our Colleges. Welcoming the new employees, he said that Laboratory Assistants and Junior Librarians have been appointed to give more thrust to quality education.Their role in Laboratories and Libraries is essential to create a dynamic environment for education in institutions, he added. He hoped that their sincerity and commitment will encourage scientific aptitude among the students.Focusing on sports, he said that the Government has always encouraged Sports to its fullest extent. In fact, Odisha is now a bright spot in the sports map of the globe, he added.He said that the State is developing more playgrounds at school level, and stadiums at block level to groom sports persons from the very childhood. Recruitment of Physical Education Teachers, he added, will certainly play a positive role in enhancing the interest of our students in sports and help create more national and international players in our State. He hoped that the PETs will contribute immensely for creating a bright future for the students of my state. Saying that 5T is a life skill that can help every one of us to succeed in life, he hoped the new entrants in the colleges will create examples for others by following the 5T Mantra of my Government. Higher Education Minister Shri Rohit Pujari thanked the Chief Minister for the focus on quality education. Odisha now become an education and sports hub. He expected the new recruits will work committedly to improve education system in colleges. Chief Secretary Shri Suresh Chandra Mohapatra said that under the direction of the Chief Minister, the state is going through continuous recruitment process for educational institutions. The 5T Initiative has made the recruitment process very fast, he added.Three new recruits Pushpabati Pati, Krushna Chandra Sahu and Bobita Tudu, sharing their experience said that the 5T initiative has made the entire recruitment process efficient, timely, and hassle-free. The technology based choice locking system has helped to come out successfully in a transparent manner.Secretary to Chief Minister (5T) Shri VK Pandian moderated the programme. Higher Education Principal Secretary Shri Bishnupada Sethi gave the welcome address and Director Higher Education offered the vote of thanks.