Mo School Team

Mo School Core Team

The Mo School core team consists of highly experienced professionals from various reputed national and international organisations. All of them believe in the catalytic role of education in the life and development of children.

The Mo School core team consists of Member Secretary & Chief Executive Officer (MS & CEO) who oversees the administration with support from a Chief Operating Officer who looks after the programme components (COO) and an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) who takes care the Finance & Administration of Mo School.

The Member Secretary & CEO reports to the Chairperson and Vice Chair. The Chairperson is an eminent independent professional selected by the State. Commissioner cum Secretary, School and Mass Education (S&ME) Department is the Vice Chairperson and State Project Director, Odisha School Education Programme Authority (OSEPA) is the Member Secretary & CEO. The core team coordinates with the Department of School & Mass Education (S&ME), Government of Odisha, and its wings including the Samagra Sikhya Abhiyan, Odisha Adarsh Vidyalaya Sangathan and State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT).

A team of government deputed officials: Odisha Education Service (OES) Officer, Odisha Taxation and Accounts Service (OTAS) Officer, Section Officers, administrative support staff – work closely with the core team.

Mo School Organogram



Mo School Governing Council

Mo School Chairperson is the head of the Governing Council (GC).

Principal Secretary, School and Mass Education (S&ME) Department is the Vice Chairperson and State Project Director, Odisha School Education Programme Authority (OSEPA) is the Member Secretary.

Members of the GC include Additional Secretary S&ME, Director ST/SC Development Department, Financial Advisor S&ME, 3 District Collectors, Mo School Officer on Special Duty (OSD), Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Operating Officer (COO) and 3 nominated professionals.

The GC meets at least once in a quarter. The proceedings and resulting action items of each meeting prepared by the CEO is submitted to the Chairperson for approval.

Role and functions of the Governing Council (GC) are outlined below.

  • GC formulates and approves Annual Roadmap / Action Plan and Programmes for the furtherance of the goals and objectives of Mo School.
  • As and when necessary, GC reviews and approves the Project proposals submitted by the Executive Council (EC).
  • Administers funds and manages the properties of Mo School as per the Government of Odisha rules and regulations and wherever required prescribes modalities for receipt and expenditure based on exigencies, following financial propriety and prudence.
  • Formulates the Budget Estimate of a Financial Year and Revised Estimate of the concerned year and submits it for approval to the State Government through the S&ME Department.
  • Approves the Annual Report and the Audited Statement of Accounts of Mo School.
  • Appoints committees, consultants, study groups or working groups for transaction of any business of Mo School or for expert advice in any matter pertaining to the Sangathan.
  • Prescribes Standard Operational Procedures on development and implementation of Projects in consultation with the S&ME department.
  • Approves the decisions taken by Chairperson; these decisions are implemented by Sangathan based on exigencies, following financial propriety and prudence.
  • Formulates plans and programmes to raise funds for achieving the objectives of the Sangathan.
  • Performs such other functions as are necessary and expedient for furtherance of the objectives of Mo School and for carrying out its purpose.
  • GC can also issue executive instructions, guidelines, circulars, clarifications etc. for proper implementation of the Mo School Abhiyan.

Mo School Executive Council

The Mo School Executive Council (EC) manages the day-to-day affairs of the Sanghatan. It functions as the State Level Committee (SLC). Principal Secretary, School and Mass Education (S&ME) Department is the Chairperson of the EC. CEO of the Sangathan is the Co-Chair. Officer on Special Duty (OSD) of the Sangathanis the Member Convenor of EC.

Other members of the EC include COO of the Sangathan, Director-Elementary Education, Director-TE & SCERT (Teacher Education and State Council for Education Research and Training), OSEPA State Project Director (SPD), OSEPA Financial Advisor and Chief Accounts Officer, Superintending Engineer of the Public Works Department (PWD).

The nominated members include: a practicing Architect, a renowned filmmaker, a pedagogy expert and 2 other distinguished professionals nominated by the CEO and / or Mo School Chairperson – including but not limited to the field of school education, the arts, literature, design, advertising, science, engineering, social work and sports.

Role and functions of the Executive Council (EC) are outlined below.

  • EC runs day-to-day operations of the Sangathan.
  • Controls and manages all the affairs and funds of the Sangathan.
  • Meets at least once in a quarter, or as frequently as required in each year.
  • Implements all the decisions of the Governing Council (GC).
  • Works in close coordination with School and Mass Education (S&ME) Department.
  • Works in close coordination with the 30 District Level Committees (DLC) and serves as the link between the GC and the DLC.
  • Vets project proposals from and recommends projects to the DLC.
  • Coordinates with the DLC to ensure proper implementation of the Mo School Abhiyan.
  • Prepares Annual Action Plans specifying projects and quarterly milestones which are presented for approval to the GC.

Mo School District Level Committee

Odisha has 30 districts. Each district has its own Mo School District Level Committee (DLC). The District Collector is the Chairperson of the DLC. The District Education Officer (DEO) is the Member Convenor of the DLC.

The DLC includes District Project Coordinator (DPC) of Sarba Sikhya Abhiyan, Principal of District Institute of Education & Training (DIET), 1 Block Education Officer (BEO), 2 citizen representatives of the School Management and Development Committee (SMDC).

The nominated members include: a practicing Architect and a film maker nominated by the Mo School Abhiyan and 2 other professionals nominated by the Collector – including but not limited to the field of school education, the arts, literature, design, advertising, science, engineering, social work and sports.

Role and functions of the DLC are outlined below.

  • DLC leads the alumni mobilization activities and awareness campaigns with help from the DEOs, BEOs, alumni associations and other local bodies / organisations.
  • Interfaces with the Head Masters/Mistresses (HM) of the schools and supports the fund raising efforts and volunteerism by school alumni and others.
  • Compiles relevant databases with help from local school HMs.
  • Submits a comprehensive list of donors and corresponding project proposals to the EC for approval and matching grant from the State.
  • Takes active steps for proper implementation of the projects as per the intentions of the donors.
  • Ensures district-wide implementation of the Mo School Abhiyan as per EC recommendations and directions.
  • DLC also implements any project which is required as per the procedure envisaged in the Bye-law in consultation with the EC.

Mo School Board of Advisors

The GC can appoint, with the approval of the government, up to five individuals to the Mo School Board of Advisors (BoA) with a standard tenure of three years. The BoA comprises experts from diverse disciplines including, but not limited to, education, art, literature, architecture, design, advertising, film making, science, social science and sports.

Two eminent individuals have been appointed to the Mo School Board of Advisors (BoA):

    • Dr. Jatindra Kumar Nayak

      Educationist, Literary Expert

Jatindra Kumar Nayak, Ph. D. is both an educationist and literary professional with a wide range of activities including translations from Odia to English, literary critiquing, column writing, and editing. He studied at Ravenshaw College, Cuttack and then pursued his Ph. D. from University of Oxford. He taught English literature to post graduate students of Utkal University at Bhubaneswar. He has founded an organisation at Bhubaneswar called ‘Rupantar’, which is devoted to the cause of translation. ‘Rupantar’ has already published many volumes of Odia books in English translation.

    • Mrs. Nivedita Scudder

      Educationist, NGO Chairperson

Nivedita Scudder is the former Principal of the reputed Rishi Valley School. She completed her graduation, B.Ed. and M.Ed. from Utkal University as a distinguished scholar. She started teaching in the Timpany School of Vishakhapatnam in the early 80s. Then she worked as a teacher in the Rishi Valley School for around 12 years before serving as Head Mistress from 1997 till 1999. She is associated with Unnayan, an NGO as Chairperson since 2000. The NGO works for marginalised communities with a focus on sustainable development.

Mo School Team Bios

Susmita Bagchi had an illustrious student career, a highlight of which is that she passed out of Odisha Police High School, Cuttack. After receiving her MA in Political Science from the University of Delhi, she started there as a lecturer at the Daulat Ram College. Later, she took to full-time writing, in addition to being the Associate Editor of Sucharita which was a leading Odia publication for nearly three decades. She has written 18 books of short stories, novels and travelogue. Her work has been translated into Marathi, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi and English. She is a recipient of the State Sahitya Academy Award, the Prajatantra Vishuba Award, Utkal Samman, Gangadhar Rath Foundation Award among others. Beyond her full-time work at Mo School, in her personal capacity, Susmita Bagchi is deeply engaged with issues of mental health, blindness and geriatric care. She believes, Mo School has given her the platform and the privilege to serve her motherland.
Smt. Aswathy S., IAS (Odisha 2003), is a seasoned bureaucrat currently serving as Commissioner-cum-Secretary to the Government of Odisha, School & Mass Education Department since August 2022. With a distinguished career trajectory, she has previously held the prestigious position of Deputy Director (Sr) at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA). As a trailblazer in the Indian Administrative Service, Smt. Aswathy's exemplary leadership and dedication have not only shaped policies but also inspired countless individuals to strive for excellence in public service. Her commitment to innovation and reform in the education sector underscores her vision for a brighter future for Odisha.
Amarjit Jena has devoted over 29 years to managing rights-based development programmes. He has considerable experience in developing programme strategies and systems for state, national and international agencies. During his association with UNICEF as Education Officer (2008-13), he has worked with the Government of Odisha in developing programmes around Child Friendly Schools and Systems. In TESS-India (Teacher Education through School-based Support in India) with the Open University, UK and British Council, he has provided strategic direction, vision and leadership in demonstrating the movement of child-centred pedagogy into practice in classroom teaching and learning through harnessing open resources, online learning and social media tools. Prior to this, he actively worked with People’s Science Movements in popularising science among school students. He also facilitated the roll out of Total Literacy Campaigns in Odisha and Bihar as a Consultant to National Literacy Mission, Government of India.
With a steadfast commitment to social development and a career spanning over 12 years in the field, Raj Laxmi Dash serves as the Chief Operating Officer of Mo School Abhiyan. She holds a master's degree in civil law. Raj Laxmi also demonstrates an entrepreneurial spirit through the successful development and implementation of fundraising strategies. She effectively leads teams to surpass objectives and communicates the organizational mission with influence as a respected leader in fundraising and communications across national and international organizations in the space of school education, child protection and disability.
Dr. Mani Prasad Mishra took over as the Officer on Special Duty, Mo School on 10th of March 2023. As a dedicated officer, Dr. Mishra has served the State in various capacities. Working as the Block Development Officer in Sukinda and Danagadi block of Jajpur district, he has achieved various milestones. An officer well known for honesty and integrity, Dr. Mishra has been working relentlessly to ensure transparent and efficient allocation of funds for various projects and initiatives. Dr. Mani Prasad Mishra’s commitment to empowering schools and improving educational standards has constantly motivated him to seek innovative ways to optimize financial resources and work towards the betterment of the education.
Smt. Sasmita Mali (OES 2012) has aided over 7 years of her professional life as the BEO of Balianta and Bhubaneswar blocks.
During her tenure as the BEO of Balianta, she undertook numerous innovative steps to enhance quality education. As a BEO of Bhubaneswar, she enhanced joyful learning for children with special needs. SMILE (Saturday Morning Implies Learning with Entertainment) was one of the milestones for providing quality education.
Since the inception of Mo School Abhiyan Smt. Mali has contributed immensely to popularise Mo School Abhiyan in the BMC area by organizing different alumni meetings in schools and block level. Smt. Mali was awarded as the 'Best Administrator' by NUEPA in 2018.
Shri Abinash Satapathy (OES 2016) has aided above 3 years of his professional life as the BEO of Chatrapur block. Starting as a dedicated headmaster, Mr. Satapathy demonstrated exceptional leadership and a passion for nurturing young minds. His commitment to educational evelopment earned him the role of Block Education Officer (BEO), where he successfully implemented numerous initiatives to enhance the quality of education in the region. Shri Satapathy, currently serving as the Programme Officer of Mo School, has contributed immensely to strengthen the formulation and implementation of state-level educational policies. Shri. Abinash Satapathy continues to channel his vast experience and knowledge to uplift the educational standards.
top
top
© Mo School Abhiyan Parichalana Sangathan 2018-2024 | All Rights Reserved