Samaja and Tathya.in: Conspiracy to have a second campus of Central University of Orissa (Koraput) in Bhubaneswar?
April 26th, 2009
The tathya.in article is at http://www.tathya.in/2009/story.asp?sno=2873. Following are some excerpts:
… now its officials were not in a mood to go to the tribal dominated district.
The reason: lack of facilities like airport and modern health care units.
Surabhi Banerjee had been appointed as the first vice-chancellor of the central university at Koraput.
But, Prof. Banerjee, is in no mood to move to Koraput.
Sources said, the VC had been persuading the state government officials to open temporary campus of the varsity in the state capital instead of going to Koraput.
The newly formed central university authorities claimed that the academic activities could begin from temporary campus here till the building was constructed at Koraput.
By the time, the building would be over; Prof Banerjee’s term could end.
The Samaja article is as follows:
Considering the lack of higher education opportunities in KBK and Koraput, the Central University should be started, even in the short term, from Koraput. I am sure some rented accommodation and quarters can be obtained in the nearby Damanjodi and Sunabeda townships. In the worst case, if something is done in Bhubaneswar, under absolutely no circumstances, it should go beyond one year. The Vice Chancellor should plan to move to Koraput as soon as possible, and under no circumstances, should stay outside of Koraput, beyond a year. Otherwise, perhaps she can move to another university and CUO Koraput is assigned a new VC who is not averse of staying in Koraput.
Finally, even if the goal is to have multiple campuses of the central university across the state, there is no need to have one in Bhubaneswar. The second and other campuses should be established in KBK and other areas of Orissa which lack universities. The Bhubaneswar area has many universities and a National University is about to be established there too. So there is absolutely no need to have a campus of the Central University of Orissa (Koraput) in Bhubaneswar.
Entry Filed under: Central University of Orissa, Koraput,Koraput-Jeypore-Sunabeda area (5)
6 Writeup
1. Prof.Biswajit Mishra | April 27th, 2009 at 7:28 am
Yes, I fully agree with Prof. Baral. Somebody has to tell the VC that her place of appontment is at Koraput NOT Bhubaneswar.
2. Bipin Bisoyi | April 27th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
This is truly scandalous to attempt to shift CUO from Koraput to BBSR. If VC is really not interested for Koraput, then why did she accept the offer? She should vacate the leadership position to someone who is ready to sacrifice the cushy comforts of a Metro/Mini-Metro City. CUO must be established in Koraput only ( in fact it can be any place in KBK with satellite centres within KBK only.) I have a strong apprehension that if anything is started at BBSR in the name of CUO, then CUO Koraput campus is as good as dead .
Is another round of struggle by the people and wellwishers of KBK required?
3. Sansiddha Pani | April 27th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
I think we should truly look into the facilities that are presently available in Koraput, or anywhere near the final campus location, before taking a decision on where to have a temporary campus.
Also, though the idea of setting up a major university in a backward area is very good, but one must ensure that some basic facilities are provided for running of such an institution.
4. Bijoy | April 27th, 2009 at 7:33 pm
To develop facilities around CUO will take its own time. In my view, CUO will become catalyst for development around that place.
Basic facilities at Koraput do exist. Otherwise how do other Institutions like HAL Sunabeda, NALCO Damonjodi and a private Engg. colleges, at Koraput survive? Yes we can not have airport over night. It needs real courage and leadership of a person to start an Institution from scratch. If she wants everything should be readily available, then she is in a wrong place. We want development at Koraput not at BBSR. Thus, she has to use all her project management skill to develop this university.
5. Siba Prasad | April 28th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Our capital city has got institutes disproportionate than what it deserves. If at all something passes on to the backward regions like south orissa after long struggle, it is made sure that it never materialises. If this mindset rules the state, then people would never be fooled by the so called absurd issues like state pride and discrimination against the state whose hidden meaning is just the capital pride, otherwise when there is so much of discrimination inside the state it self, why accuse the central government all the time? When our own orissa people and leaders fail to read the backwardness of different pockets, why shift the blame to the centre always?
6. subhrajit mishra | May 8th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
Here the principal culprit is the V.C Mrs. Banerjee, who is currently staying at Kolkata and got this job by oiling the Left leaders in her home state who were then partners of UPA govt at the center. She is authoring the biography of left comred Mr Jyoti Basu. Shifting the campus is only beneficial to her. First we the people of Orissa should agitate to remove this V.C who does not belong to our state. All the other central universities have got V.Cs from their respective states only.