Odisha HRD

Inititiation of KBK university by state govt? Dr. Digambara Patra, November 15, 2006

December 11th, 2006

Editor’s note: Dr. Patra’s idea is a great one. The colleges that are proposed to be part of this university should be constituent colleges not just affiliated colleges.
Dear All,

We will be working towards KBK central university till we get one. However, contradicitng my earlier thoughts proposal of a new central university by the centeral govt might take time since presently many states are seriously interested for central university. It may have similar fate like IIT. Unfortunately, political mathematics in the central govt is also not infavour of Orissa. In a case, similar to IIT if the central govt prefers only to upgrade
few of the state run university like Bhopal/North Bengal/Sambalpur/Utkal to central university status then KBK central University might not be feasible. Utkal and Sambalpur Universities are seriously debating with the UGC to get central university status. From private source, I came to know that Bhopal University might soon be declared as central university like Allahabad University.

Keeping all these things in mind, if our state government could make a KBK University (from the Biju KBK grant or a separate grant of 100 crores for 3 yrs), it would be easier to convert it to a central university later on, which happened earlier to Institute of Life Sciences, Institute of Physics, Allahabad University and some other North Eastern State Universities.

Sambalpur University and Berhampur University are already proposing to open satallite campus in Bhawanipatna (Kalahandi) and Koraput respectively. But its fate is not yet known.

There are six autonomous colleges in KBK, Phulbani, and Gajpati districts. Out of them Government College Bhawanipatna has been declared as College of Potential of Excellence by UGC (other only two in Orissa are Ravenshaw college Cuttack and GM College Sambalpur)

So, in the begining a KBK University could be feasible in the following autonomous colleges (as infrastructure may support in the line of Fakir Mohan University in Balasore).

1. S.K.C.G. College, Paralakhemundi, Gajapati Distt (Berhampur University)
2. Vikram Dev College, Jeypore, Koraput Distt ( Berhampur University)
3. Govt. College Phulbani, Phulbani Distt (Berhampur University)
4. Rayagada College, Rayagada Distt (Berhampur University)
5. Rajendra College, Boloangir, Bolangir Distt. (Sambalpur University)
6. Government College Bhawanipatna, Kalahandi Distt. (Sambalpur University,potential center of excellence)

Later on, land in these towns and other towns like Nuapada, Boud, Nabarangpur, Sonpur and Malkangiri could be acquired for future infrastructure developments and growth of the University.

Each district may have only one KBK University center (not bringing much regional polarization in the district level), for example, KBK University at Rayagada, Rayagada; KBK University at Phulbani, Phulbani; KBK University at Bhawanipatan, Kalahandi; KBK University at Jeypore, Koraput; KBK University at Balangir, Balangir; KBK University at Parlakhemundi, Gajpati; etc.

Despite the fact that KBK is a backward region and Government College Bhawanipatna is a college of potential center of excellence, UGC may easily favour to recognise it as a state university (which could later on be made central universiy in the line of North Eastern Universities).

This would also alleviate the complain raised by the local people in KBK region. There are complains that not a single state government run University, Engineering college or Medical college is located in KBK region althoug its cover a large sum of land area of Orissa. One region might be authorities do ignore these regions just assuming the whole region as forest.

Another point is, UGC may not be interested to invest at once in so many sites/places to open a central university rather it will prefer two invest the same amount in different sites for many universitties across various states (since there is already a similar bargaining for a central university from other states such as West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala). So, for multi-site KBK University proposal, initiation from state government is important and would
work more positively.

Even state government could urge to private companies to donate the proposed university.

Please give your comments.

Thank you and with best regards
Digambara

Dr Digambara Patra
Visiting Lecturer
(Department of Physics, Waseda University, Tokyo)
Kinosita Lab
Nakahasi-Shoji shintou-2F
Takada 1-17-22, Toshima-ku
Tokyo, Japan
http://www.geocities.com/digpatra/index.html

Entry Filed under: Central University of Orissa, Koraput,General Colleges,New Universities