Submitted to Chief Minister of Odisha And Higher Education Task Force Ministry of Higher Education Government of Odisha Submitted & Approved by Members of Koshal Discussion
and Development Forum (KDDF) & well wishers Drafted by Dr. Digambara Patra American University of Beirut, Lebanon Email: dp03@aub.edu.lb Dr. Sanjib K Karmee, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands E-mail: S.K.Karmee@tudelft.nl Dear Mr. Patnaik and Members of Higher Education Task force Forming a Higher
Education Task force is good development by the state Government. We
the members of KDDF, herewith drawing your attention for the consideration
of the following matters for the development of higher education in
various centers of western Odisha viz. Sambalpur, Bargarh, Kalahandi,
Balangir, and Suderdarh. Political Negligence Politically,
western Odisha or Koshal region of Odisha has been seriously neglected
in higher education, most of the new central Government institutions
are coming in Cuttack-Bhubaneswar and South Odisha region and not a
single one is established in Western Odisha which lacks sufficient number
of higher educational and research institutions despite consisting a
vast area and population. The state Government has at the last moment
betrayed for a Central University in Kalahandi and ignored demand of
IIT in Sambalpur. Recently ESIC medical college was also not feasible
in Balangir whereas National Steel Institute was established in Puri
instead of Sundergarh. The continuous political neglect towards Western
Odisha should be stopped for the betterment of this region in Higher
Education. Improving Faculties in Existing Major Colleges Without improving
present infrastructure Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in Higher Education
will never enhance. Most of the major colleges in Western Odisha are
being neglected by state Government. Presently, there are many regular
vacant faculty posts existing in G. M. Autonomous College Sambalpur,
Government Autonomous College Bhawanipatna, Panchayat College Bargarh,
Rajendra Autonomous College Balangir, Government Autonomous College
Sundergarh etc. In fact condition of higher education in Western
Odisha is further downgraded in last 10 years by directly affecting
GER. For example, Government Autonomous College Bhawanipatna (GACB)
has 38 vacant regular posts at this moment unlike a decade ago. There
were 8 faculties serving in Chemistry Department of GACB a decade ago
and now only two of them are serving for the whole college. Same is
the case in other departments and colleges in western Odisha. Without
adequate number of faculties how GER in higher education will improve?
We propose that immediately in next one year sufficient number of regular
faculties is recruited for the above colleges in Western Odisha on regular
basis. As state Government claims most of the time faculties from
other parts of Odisha are unwilling to serve in Kalahandi, Balangir
and other region of western Odisha, therefore, regular faculties in
this region should be recruited in the local level through local level
tests opening the possibility for candidates from the whole state. Unitary Universities and Autonomous Colleges G. M. Autonomous
College Sambalpur and Government Autonomous College Bhawanipatna were
among first three colleges along with Raveshaw Autonomous College Cuttack
chosen by UGC as “Potential Centre of Excellence” in Odisha.
Ravenshaw Autonomous College was converted to a Unitary University by
the state Government which helps in its growth and getting UGC funding,
whereas both G. M. Autonomous College Sambalpur and Government Autonomous
College Bhawanipatna are still being neglected by the state Government,
these two colleges should be immediately converted to Unitary Universities.
Similarly Panchayat College Bargarh, Government Autonomous College Sundergarh
and Rajendra Autonomous College Balangir should be expanded to full-fledged
educational institutes by opening PG courses including Computer sciences,
Management, Biotechnology and Nursing. New Central and State Government Institutions Since Western
Odisha lacks of sufficient number of higher educational institutions
and opening new campuses is as expensive as establishing new institution,
establishing new central and state Government institutions and upgrading
present existing institutions to higher level would be beneficial for
Western Odisha in general. A branch of Central
Rice Institute should come-up in Bargarh. An Indian Institute of Management
should be established in Sambalpur and steel institute in Sundergarh.
National University should be established in western Odisha. Along this
line, keeping sentiment of Kalahandi people, the proposed National University
in Bhubaneswar should be pursued with the Central Government to establish
in Bhawanipatna, Kalahandi. Also, we urge you to establish the proposed
Health University in Balangir. Converting to University BPUT in Rourkela
should be converted to a full-fledged science and technology University
having education and research in the line of Anna University Chennai.
Similarly, Agriculture College at Bhawanipatna should be converted to
a full-fledged Agriculture & Animal Husbandry University. The Harishankar
and Gandhamardan mountain provides adequate atmosphere to have a University
for Ayurvedic and Herbal Medicine. We urgue to combine Sri Nrusinghanath
Ayurvedic College, Paikmal, Bargarh and the Government Ayurvedic Colleges
in Balangir and establish University of Ayurvedic and Herbal Medicine.
VSS medical college should be pursued to be made an AIIMS type institution. Institutes
and Universities needs to be established in different
districts of Western Odisha: The following
new institutes need to be established in Western Odisha or Koshal region
on the regional basis.
We hope you will
take into consideration for the above. Thanking you Best regards Members of Koshal
Discussion and Development Forum (KDDF) & well wishers [Note: KDDF is forum of global people interested in development of Koshal region of Odisha in other words Western Odisha. KDDF is a non-political and non-separatist organization interested in bringing development to Western Odisha and simultaneously popularize significance of Koshal among general mass in similar spirit like for Utkala or Kalinga is done and it does not associate with separate state movement rather encourage people to be proud for their Koshal historical route.] |