Education demonstrates the crucial role it can play in eradicating the vices afflicting our magnificent country, but if we are to transform India into the nation that our forebears imagined, quality education cannot be restricted to a few urban areas. The only thing standing in the way of our shared dream of a more contented and successful India is education. Unless the academic institutions in the small towns matches up to the standards of their counterparts in capital cities, issues like migration, unskilled labor, and unemployment, among others, will not be mitigated.

Today, metro areas have numerous large institutions with world-class infrastructure and teaching methodologies, while small towns --Tier-II and Tier-III cities-- hardly even have inter colleges that offer education in all streams, leave aside facilities and exposure. This gap is fueling greater inequality in the country.

Deepak Kumar Goyal, Founder and Director Imperial College, Bargarh, a resident of the district of Bargarh struggled greatly with his higher schooling and had to move to larger towns and then metro areas for his education. After receiving his postgraduate degree in management from Mumbai, he worked in the corporate world for a short time before opening a computer education facility that provided quality education and computer training in the city. During that period, he realized how small-town students are reprieved of quality higher education, lack in skills, and finally moved out of their small towns and villages for their future prospects.

He recognized the need to establish a college that offered professional degree courses in his district. Imperial College is one such college, located in Bargarh, a small town in Odisha, away from the city's clamor on the outskirts - a tranquil environment conducive for learning and studying. Deepak Kumar founded Imperial College in 2008 with the vision of imparting quality education to the students of Bargarh and became the pioneer in establishing a college with professional courses in the area to students who were traveling outside in need of education. The institution offers both Graduate and Post Graduate university affiliated programs which include BA (Hons), BBA, B.COM (Hons), BCA, M.Sc. CS.

Leading Students towards Brilliance The

conventional methods of teaching students, such as having them memorize lines, would be ineffective. An academic institution should be a place for a student's mental, physical, and social growth. Perfectly understanding the requirements, Imperial College placed a strong emphasis on the four E's: Education, Employability, Entrepreneurship, and the Environment. Imperial College is not preoccupied with the quantity of students enrolled in the institution, but rather with providing quality education to students so that they are prepared for the corporate world.

Instead of simply imparting classroom knowledge, Imperial College regularly hosts guest lectures, industry debates, study tours, and seminars to prepare students for the challenges in the future. Besides, Students are trained not only in work skills but also in life skills so that they can be empathetic towards society. Having said that, Students are not just confined to Bargarh but are given national-level exposure via study excursions for all programs at institutes like IIT Kharagpur, IIM Bangalore, Shantiniketan to name a few.

Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, Imperial College was quick to respond and partnered with 'Great Learning' to provide quality online education rather than the standard zoom class. Following COVID-19, the college has already planned and implemented SLATE-Strategies for Learning Assessment and Teaching Excellence. Imperial College has average enrollment eligibility of 40-45 percent for admissions since it firmly believes in developing students to excellence. In fact, when the final results were announced in 2022, the students of the college topped the university in the BA Education Honours which has a total enrollment of 3200 students in the program, reflecting about the quality of education at Imperial College. "Our outcome-based education assists students in learning rather than merely receiving degrees", says Deepak.

The institution also offers various curricular activities and has four clubs which include Abhivyakti, Sanskriti, Pragati, and Suditi. Sanskriti club takes care of all cultural activities and events of the college, Pragati club takes care of the environmental and sustainability initiatives and CSR activities, Suditi is into games and sports, and Abhivyakti is about arts, music, dance, and drama. All of these activities assist students to develop communication skills, teamwork, critical and creative thinking, and crisis management.

Imperial College is not preoccupied with the quantity of students enrolled in the institution, but rather with providing quality education to students so that they are prepared for the corporate world and creating good citizens for the nation

Deepak Kumar's dream was big from the very beginning so, a lot of thought was given while designing a uniquely structured campus. Solar heating, rainwater harvesting, paper recycling, and other green measures are being actively pursued. Vehicles are not permitted on campus in order to maintain a quiet learning environment. The technologically upgraded classrooms facilitate teaching through advanced tools and techniques. The college library is an empowering unit with a Resource Centre that provides students with audio-visual tools.

The college features an Open Air Theatre, furnished separate hostels for girls and boys, and substantial procedures in place to satisfy the need for vigilance and security. To meet the safety needs of students and faculty, the campus is fully CCTV-enabled. In fact, the campus got featured in The Neptune-Glitz a national-level architecture magazine in April 2020 as well as was lauded with the Green Champion Award from the central government. And as it forges ahead, Imperial College will continue to accomplish wonders and lead students to greater heights.