PNS | Bhubaneswar
People of Kalahandi will be happy to learn that the State's Task Force on Higher Education has accepted a proposal for establishment of a unitary university in their district. For the last several years, the people of Kalahandi, led by Non-Resident Odia (NRO) Dr Digambara Patra, were demanding a university at the district headquarters town of Bhawanipatna, which the Task Force chairman Prof Trilochan Pradhan has now obliged.
Pradhan, who recently presented the Task Force's Interim Report to the Government, has favoured establishment of 13 more affiliating and unitary universities in the State. Another NRO, Chitta Baral, has been batting for more universities in the State to improve the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER), which the Task Force accepted in its proposal.
The State now has 12 Government Universities and two Deemed Universities. The Task Force has proposed three regional universities in the State's southern, western and central regions. The proposals include a South Odisha University at Parlakhemundi by upgrading the SKCG Autonomous College, a West Odisha University at Balangir by elevating the status of the Rajendra College and a Central Odisha University at Angul with up-gradation of the local Government College, said sources. Besides, a Metropolitan University at Rourkela, a Medical Education University at Cuttack by upgrading the SCB Medical College and a university of Management State and an Open University at Bhubaneswar have been outlined.
Every other State has an Open University while Odisha is lacking in this regard. The proposed Open University would cater to the needs of regional requirements, which the IGNOU is not able to address, feel experts.
Taking into consideration the infrastructure, student enrolment, academic ambience and qualitative growth of some of the leading autonomous colleges over the years, the Task Force felt the need of upgrading these institutions to the Unitary University status. Upgradation of GM College, Sambalpur, Khallikote College, Berhampur, Government Autonomous College, Bhawanipatna, Vikram Dev College, Jeypore, RD Women's College, Bhubaneswar, and MKCG Medical College, Berhampur, to the level of Unitary University has been suggested.
In addition to these universities, more institutions of higher learning have been favoured in the Task Force's Interim Report. Setting up of five State Institutes of Technology (SITs) along the lines of National Institute of Technology (NIT) for postgraduate education and research has been favoured. Besides, an Institute for Tribal Art and Culture at Phulbani has been proposed.
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