Madhu Babu Memorial Museum to come up on Shailabala Women’s College campus

Bhubaneswar: Remembering the pioneering contributions of Utkal Gourav Madhusudan Das and his daughter Shailabala Das to women’s education in Odisha, the state government has decided to establish the Madhu Babu Memorial Museum. The museum will be set up on the campus of Shailabala Women’s Autonomous College in Cuttack.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Higher Education, Sports and Youth Services, Odia Language, Literature and Culture Minister Suryabanshi Suraj. The meeting also resolved to develop the museum within the college premises where Madhusudan Das’s conference hall and residential office had once functioned.

The memorial museum will be developed by the Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department.

In 1952, Shailabala Das donated her father’s residence for the promotion of women’s education in Odisha, which led to the establishment of Shailabala Women’s College. She also donated her own residence, Madhumandir, to further support the institution.

Addressing the meeting, the Higher Education Minister said that Madhusudan Das and Shailabala Das played a crucial role in strengthening women’s education in the state. He added the proposed memorial museum would preserve Madhu Babu’s legacy and inspire future generations.

The meeting was attended by Aravind Agrawal, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Higher Education Department; Bijay Ketan Upadhyaya, Secretary, Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department; Kali Prasanna Mahapatra, Director, Higher Education Department; Bijay Kumar Nayak, Additional Press Secretary to the President; and Jiban Ballav Jena, Principal of Shailabala Women’s Autonomous College.