Orissa should push for a Central University in the Western part of Orissa to be included in the 12th plan
September 24th, 2009
Pioneer reports on a letter written by Sanjib Karmee about establishing a central university in the Western part of Orissa. Following are some excerpts.
.. One such letter written to the Prime Minister, President and other top political leaders of the country including one to the Chief Minister of Orissa and members of Parliament, by Dr Sanjib Kumar Karmee of Bio-catalysis and Organic Chemistry group of the Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands, has made a fervent appeal to the powers that be to open a Central University in the Koshal region.
He has appreciated the efforts of Ministry of Human Resources and other Central Government ministries in the establishment of many centrally funded institutions in Orissa keeping the backwardness of the State in mind.
He has cited that the current Government of the State is adopting a capital centric approach, clustering Bhubaneswar with National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), and Railway Medical College.
The State Government has chosen only two such centrally funded institutes outside Bhubaneswar-Cuttack-Puri region of having a Central University at Koraput in south Orissa and a proposal to set-up the Indian Institute of Information Technology in Berhampur which is also in south Orissa.
Koshal region he writes is one of the most backward regions in Orissa, and has demanded the establishment of centrally funded institutes in Koshal region. At the same time he writes about the connectivity and amenities of the region which has infrastructural readiness to have a Central University, besides he says the region has two universities – Sambalpur University and VSS University of Technology – a Government Medical College, and a few private engineering colleges. Rourkela city which is close to Burla-Sambalpur-Jharsuguda area has a National Institute of Technology at Rourkela. On connectivity he writes there is a proposal by the Government of India to have an airport at Jharsuguda and further that Jharsuguda is well connected by rail to the various States in India. Burla-Sambalpur-Jharsuguda area is emerging as a central location for on going industrial activities in the region.
Since MHRD is very serious about increasing the GER, I think the 12th plan would include some more central universities (or at the worst case universities that are funded 50-50 by center and state). Also, as I mentioned earlier, many states have regions which have been left out of the national university (mostly went to the state capital or the 1st or 2nd most populated metro area of the bigger states; but all went to metro areas with a population of greater than 1 million; the obvious reason seems to be the vision behind these universities as stated in the first announcement as well as in the concept papers) and first central university distributions (many went to smaller places of the states), and they would like to have a central university/institution. This includes Nagpur in Maharastra, Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh, Durgapur/Asansol/Siliguri in West Bengal, Bhawanipatna/Jharsuguda/Rourkela in Orissa etc.
In Orissa, after CUO Koraput and national university in Bhubaneswar, the government should strongly consider a location in its Western part (and far from Bhubaneswar) for that. Among the possible locations, a sentimental favorite would be Bhawanipatna, as it has been reported that at one point the CM had assured the representatives from Kalahandi regarding locating the first central university there. Other good locations could be Rourkela (a bit in the corner though; but is a metro and has a sizable population and does not have a regular university; it does have NIT) and Jharsuguda (lots of industrial development happening here, not too far from Rourkela, but close to Sambalpur which has two universities; But Jharsuguda itself has nothing and is going to have an airport soon).
Entry Filed under: Bhawanipatna-Kesinga-Lanjigarh (8),Central Universities,Rest of Odisha,Rourkela-Rajgangpur area (2),Sambaplpur-Burla-Jharsuguda-Baragarh area (4),Twelfth Plan
3 Writeup
1. Abhisek | September 24th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
More central Institutes are good for Orissa. But, I slightly differ with the post because it says that south orissa has two centrally funded institutes [the two Institutes in south Orissa are either at nascent stage (CUO, Koraput) or only in the stage of proposal (IIIT, Berhampur)] while western orissa has none. The write-up misses the NIT at Rourkela. Besides, Orissa has five professional Universities (OUAT, University of Culture, Law University, BPUT and VSSUT), which includes two Techinical Universities both in Western Orissa none of which are in southern part of the state. So, I look forward to the decalration of Orissa Health University in Southern part of the state which will be the first professional University in the region. I agree with rest of the arguments.
2. Chitta Baral | September 24th, 2009 at 6:36 pm
Thanks Abhisek for mentioning NIT that i missed.
3. Digambara | September 25th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
If Berhampur/Sambalpur wants to pursue for health Univ, they should come forward immediately, as it has almost certain to come in Cuttack
http://kalahandia.blogspot.com/2009/07/state-government-could-have-chosen.html
I had also proposed to the CM to make Health Unv in Kandhamal, but I have to search for my mail that I had sent.
Some people also think IIFT and NID should go to Berhampur, one suggestion came to me was IIFT Berhampur which I welcome, perhaps they should take initiative.
I assume IIM for Sambalpur would be fine at this moment as it has not any central funded institution, some suggsted idea was National Unv should come in Samablpur area instead of BBBSR, but its not easy, but through PPP could be possible if all major mining companies are put pressure (coming around SBP)
I had also written to CM, if State Government medical college in Sundergarh, the ideal would be if ESIC Medical College is not possible in Balangir due to members then establish it in Sundergarh (Rourkela), but it was late when others react to it, but we hope it is not so later.
http://kalahandia.blogspot.com/2009/07/drsanjib-kumar-karmee-letter-to-orissa.html
It is very important that people take initiatives or join immediatel suc demand.