Former Union minister and senior Congress leader Srikant Jena has urged Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi, ahead of the Navy Day celebrations on the Puri coast on Wednesday, to encourage President Droupadi Murmu to strengthen the defence educational infrastructure in the state and establish a maritime university in Odisha.

President Murmu, the supreme commander of the defence forces, is scheduled to inaugurate the Navy Day function on Wednesday. She reached here on Tuesday. Governor Raghubar Das and chief minister Majhi accorded a warm welcome to her at the Biju Patnaik International Airport. On Navy Day, the Indian Navy will display a spectacular operational demonstration off the coast of Puri, showing the strength and versatility of its naval fleet. It will allow the public to witness the world of naval operations, a realm often hidden from public view.

In a letter to chief minister Majhi, Jena said: “Given the Navy Day celebrations in the presence of Hon’ble President Of India and the presence of senior defence personnel in Puri, Odisha, I urge you to take this opportunity to present our demands to the Hon’ble President of India and lead an all-party delegation to strengthen Odisha’s defence and maritime infrastructure.”

He added: “Odisha has one of the lowest representations in army recruitment, which can be attributed to the lack of preparatory schools that provide specialised coaching for defence-related examinations. There is a pressing need to establish a comprehensive, mega-scale army recruitment coaching centre. More Sainik schools, military schools, particularly in regions such as Rairangpur and Koraput should be established.”

Stating that Odisha’s rich maritime history remains unmatched, Jena said: “The absence of a central university promoting maritime studies is a significant gap. We propose the establishment of a central maritime university in Odisha to empower the state’s youth.”