At a time when the country is struggling to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Tata Steel Parivar, an organization consisting of the displaced families of the company’s Kalinganagar project, has achieved these goals before the stipulated deadline.
The MDGs are a set of targets set by the United Nations Organization to reduce global poverty and improve living standards in the world by 2015.
The noteworthy achievement of Tata Steel Parivar at Kalinganagar is that these families have achieved the target of 100 per cent elementary education with zero school drop out rate. Simultaneously, gender equality and empowerment of the women has taken place. As many as 159 tribal children of the Tata Steel Parivar have been enrolled in the residential schools in Jajpur district. Similarly, 50 children have got the opportunity of studying at the Kalinga Institute of Social Science (KISS)-Bhubaneswar. As many as 213 children are studying in schools as day scholars.
Besides, there has been a significant jump in the literacy levels of the Tata Steel Parivar from 45 per cent in 2005 to 65 per cent in 2010.
The Tata Steel Parivar has also achieved zero infant mortality; a feat which the company feels has been made possible due to 100 per cent institutional delivery and regular medical checks-ups.
