Some good news on national institutes front
June 25th, 2007
Business Standard reports that central minister Chandrasekhar Sahu is pursuing with the central government regarding establishing three marquee institutions in South Orissa. Following is an excerpt of that:
While the first Central University is likely to be set up in Koraput, plans for an Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) and National Institute of Design (NID) in Berhampur are in the works. …
Sahu also said he has discussed the possibility of a National Institute of Design (NID) and National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) being set up in Berhampur and Bhubaneswar. The recent discussions with the Union minister for commerce, Kamal Nath, and the minister for textiles, Shankarsingh Veghela, “were very positive and they assured us that they are willing to establish these institutes if the state government extended its cooperation,†said Sahu. …
While the Central University and IIIT are under the Ministry of Human Resources Development, the NID is under the Ministry of Commerce. NIFT and NIHT come under the Ministry of Textiles.
Lets analyze this. First of all if all these materializes then its great. However lets compare what Orissa will be getting vis-a-vis the other states.
- In the Central University front, the central university in Koraput should be a distributed kind like the proposed Indira Gandhi National Tribal University. It should be designed such that it has branches in all KBK+ districts from the start.
- The tribal population percentage of the KBK districts are as follows: 8 KBK districts total 38.72% (+ 16.63 % SC). Malkangiri 58.36% (+19.96% SC), Rayagada 56.04% (+14.28% SC), Nabarangpur 55.27% (+15.09% SC), Koraput 50.67% (+13.41% SC), Nuapada 35.95% (+13.09% SC), Kalahandi 28.88% (+17.01% SC), Sonepur 22.11% (+9.5% SC), Balangir 22.06% (+15.39% SC). Two adjacent districts also have high tribal population. They are Kandhamala 51.51% (+18.21% SC) and Gajapati 47.88% (+8.77% SC).
- The literacy rates in the KBK districts are as follows: Overall in 8 KBK districts 36.58% with the female literacy at 24.72%. Malkangiri 31.26%, Nabarangpur 34.26%, Rayagada 35.61%, Koraput 36.2%, Nuapada 42.29%, Kalahandi 46.2%, Balangir 54.93%, Sonepur 64.07%. Two adjacent districts also have low literacy: Gajapati 41.73% and Kandhamala 52.95%. The state average is 63.1%.
- India already has 20 central universities and if 30 more are going to be made then besides the central university in Koraput one of the other universities in Orissa should also be upgraded to a central university.
- There will be 19 new IIITs. Orissa will be getting one of them. This is good but does not take Orissa out of the bottom of MHRD spending
- NID is good. But it does not replace the IIT that was taken away from Orissa. The 2007-08 budget for the 7 IITs is a total of 1553.70 cores (i.e., an average of 221.96 crores) while the 2007-08 budget for NID is 20.25 crores.
- Hence, Orissa must: (a) continue to push for an IIT in Orissa; (b) push for the Central University in Koraput to have branches in the KBK+ districts from the very beginning; (c) this central university should have special quote for tribals and locals as is the case in many north eastern states and as will be the case in the Indira Gandhi national tribal university; (d) push for one of the other universities in Orissa to be upgraded to a central university; (e) Make sure branches of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University exist in the north western districts with high tribal population, in particular Mayurbhanj (tribal percentage 57.87%, literacy 52.43%), Sundergarh (50.74%, 65.22%), and Keonjhar (44.52%, 59.75%); and possibly in Sambalpur (35.08% , literacy 67.01%), Deogarh (33.31%, literacy 60.78%), and Jharsuguda (31.88% , literacy 71.47%).
Entry Filed under: Central University of Orissa, Koraput,IIHT, Baragarh,IIIT, Berhampur (proposed),NID, Odisha (missed opportunity),NIFT, Bhubaneswar,Odisha, others and the center
9 Writeup
1. » Blog Archive &raq&hellip | June 25th, 2007 at 10:49 am
[…] Some good news on national institutes front […]
2. Gopal | June 25th, 2007 at 6:07 pm
IIIT at Berhampur would certainly help broaden the IT base of the state and contribute towards a bigger HR pool in this sector. Two IIITs at Bhubaneswar and Berhampur may also attract IT giants to these places as they have STPIs as well. Ofcourse a IIIT or a similar institute at Rourkela is also needed due to its locational advantage.
3. Prashant K Sahoo | June 26th, 2007 at 4:12 am
I also feel that we should not make Bhubaneshwar as another BOMBAY , cluttered with everything. We should think of Rourkela and Sambalpur to have some privilege which will bring regional balance in oDishA in terms of opportunities.
Rourkeal has many advantages in terms of its location its cosmopolitan culture . But the question is how many of us think about it.
4. Chitta Baral | June 26th, 2007 at 6:29 am
Rourkela needs a medical college and a general university (like Utkal, Sambalpur and Berhampur) desperately and as soon as possible. On the tech side NIT RKL can really expand as much as it can envision. So its more of pushing the NIT leadership to expand.
5. Prashant K Sahoo | June 27th, 2007 at 3:29 am
Rourkela do also deserve its Infotech Park to be expanded and upgraded. The current infotech park is of hardly of any use. There has to be the Infrastructure setup in order to initiate the IT drive there. Location wise it has many advantages both the Railway and Road connectivity.
Moreover, some higher education management Institute or IT institute whether centrally funded or state funded must be driven to Rourkela.
After Bhubaneshwar and its near by regions, its now the turn for southern oDishA ( specially Koraput ) and western oDishA.
6. R.P.Tripathy | June 27th, 2007 at 7:07 pm
IIIT at Berhampur is fine, but STPI is yet to take off and it is now 2 years since the MOU was signed with much funfare and there is no progress at all.
Plans for two more STPs
http://www.orissaindia.com/StateNewsDetail.asp?id=ON1705
Berhampur:The Naveen Pattnaik government is planning to set up two more Software Technology Parks (STPs) in the state.
“We have already written to the Union ministry of communication and information technology seeking its approval for setting up an STP each in Sambalpur and Balasore,” a senior state information technology department officer Said. “The Centre is yet to approve the proposal,” he added.
Currently, the state has two STPs in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela. Though the Centre has approved the third STP for the state, it has not yet come up. Chief minister Naveen Pattnaik laid its foundation at Ambapua on the outskirts of Berhampur seven months ago. The government had provided 5 acres for the project.
Tender was floated for the construction of the building and the process was finalized through the Orissa Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO), the government’s ilodal agency providing industrial infrastruc¬ture in the state. But, construction work for the proposed project is yet to begin and state IT minister S N Patro blames the Centre for the delay.
“We have already finalized the bidder and are waiting for the Centre’s approval to begin the construction work,” he said. The project is estimated to come up at Rs 3 crore. “We are trying to get the Centre’s approval as soon as possible and begin the construction work,” the minister added.
Permission, total exemption on customs and excise duties on import and procurement of capital goods, 100 per cent reimbursement of Central Sales Tax (CST) and exemption on corporate income tax on export earnings. “We want to attract IT companies to the proposed Berhampur STPI and promote IT software and services of the country,” the officer Said. The The park in Berhampur will offer various incentives for software exporters like cent per cent foreign equity park also aims to promote IT enabled services.
Source : The Times of India
7. Ashit | July 5th, 2007 at 6:06 pm
The need for a national institute at berhampur is the requirement of the day. All our growth in Orissa is Bhubaneswar centred. It is always welcome to develop our capital city, but for overall development of the state, all round spatial development is required and in this regard, South Orissa has nothing to offer at present. The thought of an IIIT at Berhampur is really raise some hope regarding the flourishment back up for the sizable quantity of the talented proffessionals. Apart from that being proximity to the sea, the Ocean Science and Technology cell of Berhampur university is good one. To make it better it should be developed as a national centre. A CSIR levelled research institute may also be proposed for the same.
8. Sajesh Kumar Saran | July 24th, 2007 at 7:23 am
These are not exactly good news. This seems to be some kind of consolation prize. When you complete your +2 which college will be your first choice? IIT… And after graduation it will be for management IIM or for science and research IISc. All other choices are second choices. You can have any number of other colleges/universities does not matter, you never match these. Either you have these institutes or don’t. [I don’t know whether we seriously pursuing for these best institutes]. If we focus too many of other stuff then we are never going to get any of these.
9. Rajesh Kumar Saran | October 18th, 2007 at 11:50 pm
I believe Sajesh Kumar Saran is completely wrong! Maybe he’s getting old… People are preferring other things after +2- IIT is one of them but not the only option for Oriya kids these days. In early 90s, people preferred IITs because an IIT degree guaranteed them job and hence the drive. I agree with Prashant K Sahoo that we should NOT try to copy Mumbai’s rather unplanned explosive growth vis-a-vis. I prefer building infrastructure and schools in the tribal belt- that will enable them to earn a living for themselves when they grow up and not depend/push for reservations.