Odisha HRD

Sickle Cell Disease Research Centre started functioning in Sardar Raja Medical College, Jaring in Kalahandi

Following is an excerpt from a report in New Indian Express on this.

To combat sickle cell disease, a Sickle Cell Disease Research Centre has started functioning in Sardar Raja Medical College in Jaring of Kalahandi district under the leadership of project director Dr. Gyana Ranjan Padhi.

Padhi, a medicine specialist, after retiring from health Department services joined the medical college recently. He hails from Dasigaon of Kalahandi.

4 comments January 2nd, 2008

AICTE approval for increasing the number of students in Rural Management Course in KIIT

Business Standard has a nice article on Kalinga School of Rural Management. Following are some excerpts.

Unlike IRMA, which offers a two-year Post Graduate diploma in Rural Management, KSRM will be able to award an MBA in Rural Management to the first batch of 72 students passing out in 2009 owing to its deemed university status.

The institute has also received the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) approval for increasing the number of students from 74 to 100-120 for the second batch of students in 2008.

LK Vaswani, who taught at IRMA for 16 years and is now the director of KSRM, says the new institute retains the IRMA model of building and sustaining a partnership between rural people and committed professional managers.

But according to Vaswani, a key element that separates IRMA from KRSM, is the lack of inhibition towards its students choosing to work with the private sector.

…
“KSRM has decided to avoid taking a sectoral association. We do not believe in having any inhibitions towards the corporate sector considering more and more of them are entering the development sector. In fact, we are associated with the private sector where our students can have hands-on experience in agri-business, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), NGO management, finance and the like,” says Vaswani.

He added that in terms of on-the-field education or experiential learning, the institute hopes to surpass all other rural management schools.

For starters, the institute will hold live field training modules for a duration of 12 weeks which will be conducted thrice a year. The first batch of 72 students from 16 states will be asked to go back to their own states and adopt a village where they will work at the grassroot level. Students will also work with KIIT’s tribal school which has 3,000 children studying in its campus.

While IRMA, the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and other top B-schools face a shortage of faculty, KSRM officials say it does not worry them.

Along with seven core rural management faculty members, three of whom are from IRMA, Vaswani says faculty from the KIIT university’s other institutes like school of law, school of management, school of technology, school of social sciences etc. contribute to almost 50 per cent of the teaching load, making it a very healthy student-faculty ratio. Around 15 rural management faculty will be inducted in 2008.

…
The institute has proposed an academic collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology (DST) to ensure the participation of its students in the government’s ‘Science for Society’ programme in partnership with over 40 NGOs.

December 26th, 2007

State BJP repeated demand for IIT and Central University in Orissa

The New Indian Express reported that

…….Alleging that institutions of higher education, including Central university, IIT and IIM are being diverted to neighbouring States ignoring the claim of Orissa, the party demanded that such institutions should be established in the State…….

A similar report was also published in The Statesman.

1 comment October 30th, 2007

Hospitality training for 500 persons in Orissa

 Following is an extract from a report of The New Indian Express

 Continuing its efforts towards capacity building of service providers (CBSP) in the unorganised sector, Indiatourism, the tourism promotion wing of the Central Government, is set to impart training on hospitality to 500 such persons in the State this year.

 Indiatourism would undertake the training programme for the staff of small hotels, lodgings and guest houses in Puri and Konark.

 Started in 2004, the CBSP scheme has covered 1,500 service providers in the first year, 700 in 2005 and 550 in 2006. The programme, which was primarily being conducted in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and Puri would now be extended to Gopalpur, Rourkela and Sambalpur.

August 27th, 2007

Punjab National Bank asks for land to establish a Farmers Training Center in Orissa

Following are excerpts from a Business Standard report,

Punjab National Bank (PNB) has decided to set up a Farmers’ Training Centre (FTC) in Orissa. 
 
… "We have requested the Orissa Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik, to allot at least seven acres at a prime location, preferably in Bhubaneswar for the establishment of the farmers’ training centre. The matter is pending with the government and we are eagerly awaiting the state government’s response. As soon as we receive the state government’s nod we will start construction activities," said Bimal Prasad Sharma, zonal manager of the bank in Bhubaneswar. 
 
The bank has urged the state government to give it the piece of land free of cost. 
 
The other expenditure for the training centre including the construction of the building, appointment of faculty members and other staff and their salaries, infrastructure and installation of equipments to train farmers from every nook and corner of the state will be borne by the bank, said Sharma. 
 
The bank has already established seven such farmers’ training centres in Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, where the agriculture lending of the bank is comparatively higher than Orissa. 
 
"About 80 percent people of Orissa are depending upon agriculture sector. The farmers are not being provided with update training on modern cultivation due to lack of farmers’ training centre. We have decided to establish the centre in Orissa to help its farmers", he said. 
 
At the proposed institute, farmers will be trained with special focus on adoption of improved farm technology, diversification of crops, specially cash crops, repair and maintenance of agriculture implements. 
 
Besides, special training on floriculture, horticulture, pisciculture, apiculture and animal husbandry will be imparted at the centre. "It is our social corporate responsibility to stand by the needy and deserved farmers as they are the back bone of our society," he said.  …
 
“We have provisionally selected four places in Orissa for the farmers’ training centre. Our top priority is, the land should be provided in such a location where faculty members, communication and other infrastructure are available at hand", Sharma said, adding, "Our first preference is Bhubaneswar because it is the state capital where our zonal office is located. Secondly, Bhubaneswar has Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology from where we can take faculty to impart training”. 

August 20th, 2007

KISS students represent India in a under-14 International school rugby tournament

Following are excerpts from a report in The Hindu:

… Surmounting heavy odds, the well-trained rugby team of the Bhubaneswar-based Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) was now ready to take on the world, representing India at an under-14 international school rugby tournament in London.

For the products of the country’s largest school for tribal communities, rugby was just the right tool to unleash their collective talent. Hitherto dismissed to their miserable tribal hinterland, the students had a mission: to prove their mettle to a world cynically ignorant of the tribal life, their dreams and ambitions.

KISS, a sister concern of the KIIT Deemed University, had picked them out of their poverty-stricken families to offer an education, to get them a slice of mainstream life. Nurtured in the residential campus since age six, the team members were now prepared to announce their arrival. London beckoned, so did recognition and fame.

The training

 Behind their collective exuberance was a well-tuned method. Thirty students had been selected from a first list of 56, who underwent rigorous training by a World Rugby Association coach.

The 30 proved their worth at a tournament in Kolkata on July 16, watched closely by their sponsors, the Kolkata Jungle Crows.

The final 12 now await the flight for the big fight on September 24, but not before some fine-tuning by an English coach, Paul Walsh, and two coaches from the Kolkata Rugby Association.

“We are confident of beating the other teams.” This remark by the KISS Rugby team captain to a visiting media team from Bangalore, had a solidity built on months of disciplined training. “From 6 a.m. to 7.30 a.m., 4 p.m. to 6.30 p.m., we are at it every day,” explained the team’s school coach, Manash Jena.

The team

 Tag Rugby was the team’s first brush with the game, 18 months ago. Graduating to full rugby in quick time, the team captained by Bikash Chandra Murmu practised hard. Any tribe-based differences forgotten, the students were now part of one team. It had Chitta Ranjan Mumu and Babula Malka, Raj Kishore Murmu and Bukai Hansda, Niranjan Biswal, Hadi Dhangada Majhi, Sahadev Majhi, Gauranga Jamuda, Narsingh Kerai, Barial Beshra and Ganesh Hembram. Represented were the tribes Banda, Santal, Bathudi, Kandha and Kolha, whose people were otherwise dismissed to the poor rural backyard of Orissa.

The vision

 Tribal people make up 23.13 per cent of Orissa’s population. It needed a body as systematic as KISS to pull them out of obscurity and neglect.

It was eventually left to philanthropist and Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) founder Achyutananda Samanta to make that critical difference through KISS. …

2 comments August 15th, 2007

Computer courses will be introduced in Ravenshaw varsity arts programs

The Pioneer and others have  reported on it. Following is a short excerpt from the Pioneer report.

Computer Science will no more remain confined to the Science and Commerce Stream. It will also be taught in the Arts Stream too.
Firstly, it will be introduced in the Ravenshaw Deemed University.

A decision to this effect was taken at a high level meeting convened by the Chief Secretary Ajit Kumar Triapthy on Tuesday. Henceforth, computer science will be a compulsory subject in the graduation level in Arts, Commerce and Science Stream.

August 2nd, 2007

Orissa gets new textile training centre

Fiber2fashion reports,

The 29th centre of ATDC is inaugurated in the State of Orissa ON 24.07.2007. Indeed the last few years, ATDC is streamlining its activities in tune with its objectives. From an initial strength of a mere 195 students training in 1996, number of students passing out last year has risen to 7500. Overall more than 23000 students have been trained in different centres of the ATDC, since its inception and around 5500 students are now undergoing training in different courses. The students trained at various centres of ATDCs are suitably employed in the garment industry and we are proposing to set up a total of 50 ATDC centres by December 2007 and to train a minimum of 25000 students per year. As part of institutional social responsibility and in specific development of the weaker section of the society and to provide them opportunities for a better livelihood, in collaboration with the National Backward Classes Finance & Development Corporation (NBCFDC) and National Scheduled Castes Finance & Development Corporation (NBCFDC), New Delhi, ATDC has tied up to impart training to OBC/SC candidates by signing MOU’s. …….. In fact, ATDC provides 100% placement for the students passing out from ATDC centres. Various industries / export houses situated in all over the country recruit our students. Indeed there is a huge demand for skilled human resources in the Apparel Industry, as the textile sector would generate employment opportunities for 17.35 million work force of which 5.2 million will be skilled and the textile sector is expected to attract an investment of 1,50,600 Crore by the end of 11th Five year plan. Indeed the growth of the industry has now accelerated to 10% per annum and it is expected to rise to 16% in coming years.

2 comments August 1st, 2007

Vedanta International School in Lanjigarh

The Pioneer on Aug 1, 2007 reports,

Students of DAV Vedanta International School, Lanjigarh, Kalahandi, celebrated Vanamahotsav on Sunday. Their slogan for the people of the entire area was ‘Let’s make Lanjigarh greener’. A short cultural programme was presented by the students on the occasion. The speeches delivered by the students emphasised on the causes and consequences of deforestation and they exhorted the people to work for plantation and afforestation.  …

People from near and far gathered at VAL Township to participate in the programme. …

People of the locality pledged to take the cause further. They participated in the programme by planting saplings at the site along with the students, teachers, parents and VAL executives. Neem and Golmohar tree saplings were planted by all.

9 comments August 1st, 2007

Demand for KBK central varsity gains momentum

The Pioneer reports on demand of KBK central university by all KBK districts. It says,

All KBK districts are echoing with the demand for a Central University in the region, thanks to the initiative of the intelligentsia in the area. For the last one-week, concerned citizens of the KBK districts have been meeting at different forums raising the demand. Meetings were organised at Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Jeypore, Koraput and Sunabeda, which culminated at a workshop in Koraput on Sunday. 

People’s representatives, intellectuals and a number of other leading citizens assembled at Koraput to chalk out the future plan. A well-documented presentation of Chitta Baral, professor of Arizona State University was discussed at length over the status of educational standards of the KBK districts vis-à-vis other parts of the State. Organisers like Umi Daniel and Saroj Padhi presented the research document. 
Baral, sitting thousands miles away, was able to make an impact on the minds of all the 50 participants at the workshop. Agriculturist Bibhu Mohanty of Jeypore, who improvised Kala Jira Rice in Kalahandi on behalf of the Swaminathan group, highly appreciated the detailed study done by Baral. 

Lalit M Patnaik of Agamee Odisha harped on the improvement of the poor standards of higher education in the State. 

The meeting decided that crying over the poverty index is bringing shame to the State. So, the Infrastructure of progress should be referred to rather than the poverty index, which in itself is misleading about the progress of the State. 

By taking seven sub-sectors of the infrastructure such as transport, energy, irrigation, banking, communication, education and health, one can really compute the composite development index of infrastructure for different districts of the State, said speakers.

August 1st, 2007

MBBS Counselling to resume on August 9

The Pioneer reported that State Government finds itself in a catch-22 situation on whether to roll back the hiked admission fees for the medical streams or not. It says,

the JEE counselling for the medical stream (MBBS) has been shifted to August 9 and 10. All the decisions regarding the revision of the fee-structures would be announced before the scheduled period.

The State Government has already sent its appeal to the Fee Structure Committee headed by Justice KP Mohapatra to reconsider its decision regarding the hike in fees. One student has to pay at least Rs 4.5 lakh to get into the medical stream in any of the private medical college in the State. The fees have been hiked from earlier Rs 2.5 lakh to a whooping Rs 4.5 lakh.

As Justice Mohapatra, is away from Orissa and would be back on July 22, so all decisions regarding fee- revision have been put on hold, as of now. However, sources added, the Fee Structure Committee would at best lessen the fees by Rs 50,000 and not more than that. Earlier, it was proposed to limit the fee structure to Rs 4 lakh and later it was hiked to Rs 4.5 lakh. However, the private engineering colleges are not in a mood to listen to the Government’s plea to lessen the fee structure.

The detailed counseling dates are given in the Orissa JEE site.

July 20th, 2007

KIIT to follow OJEE counselling schedule for MBBS and BDS programmes

Pioneer reported on this. It says

 Counselling for admission into MBBS and BDS programmes of KIIT University will take place as per the schedule of the Orissa JEE, according to a University release. The university is offering these two academic programmes from the current academic session after getting the nod of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Earlier, the Medical Council of India and the Dental Council of India had recommended the commencement of MBBS and BDS programmes at KIIT.

4 comments July 18th, 2007

Chennai B-school in Bhubaneswar and Plan for Insurance University in BBSR

Business Standard reports,

“Chennai Business School (CBS) has opened its campus in Bhubaneswar. For the moment, CBS would be offering two post graduate programmes in retail management ( PGPRM) and in management and insurance (PGPMI).

The duration of the courses would be of one year with a course fee of Rs 2.5 lakh per annum for PGPRM and Rs 1.25 lakh for PGPMI.”

“With opportunities available in future, CBS plans to introduce courses also in telecom, information technology (IT) and human resource (HR) management. The PGPMI being introduced by CBS is a job-assured programme where tie-ups have been worked out with ICICI Prudential Life.”

It further says, P K Mohapatra, chairman of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), southern region, said, “Insurance varsities may also be set up in future in Bhubaneswar, Bangalore and Mumbai“.

1 comment June 12th, 2007

Private Medical Colleges in the State

The New Indian Express reported that the Minister of State for Health is considering following proposals.

(1) The proposal to set up a Health University is under the active consideration of the State Government. All the medical colleges in the State would be brought under the university for better management."

(2) In Khordha District: The proposal to upgrade the Capital Hospital into a medical college is also under the consideration of the Government.

(3) Appointment of homeopathic and ayurvedic doctors in place of MBBS doctors in vacant posts. More posts of homeopathic and ayurvedic doctors would be created keeping public welfare in mind.

(4) State Government has issued NOCs for establishment of three medical colleges in the private sector.

(i) In Koraput District: Nabadiganta Educational Trust will set up a hospital at Sunabeda. (Note: There was a report in Sambad earlier that one medical college is being established in Koraput district)

(ii) In Kalahandi District: Selvam Educational and Charitable Trust of Tamil Nadu will establish a college at Jaring in Kalahandi district.

(iii) In Balasore District: Shri Jagannath Educational and Health Trust will establish the third college at Balasore.

(iv) In Balangir District: Balaji Educational and Charitable Trust (BECT), Pudducherry, has signed an MoU with the WODC for establishment of a medical college at Balangir. The organisation has been given 25 acres free of cost. Construction of the college will start after BECT signed the lease agreement with the collector.

NOTE: Other private medical colleges in the state that have already received approval or are on drawing boards are:

(1) In Khordha District: Institute of Medical Sciences and Sum Hospital (approval received for MBBS course from 2007-08)

(2) In Khordha District: Kalinga Institute of Medical Science (approval received for MBBS course from 2007-08)

(3) In Cuttack District: Earlier the Oriya daily "The Samaja Group (Lok Sevak Mandal)" has shown interest to establish a medical college cum hospital in Cuttack district.

(4) In Sundergarh District: A private medical college is also proposed by WODC in Rourkela.

See http://www.baral.us/orissa/pdf/2005-nov25-statesman.pdf for an older list.

3 comments June 9th, 2007

AIIMS like institution at Bhubaneswar and other places will have some of its services privatized

Econimic Times reports;

“The Centre plans to privatise select services at its premium hospitals to provide improved healthcare facilities with a professional touch. A beginning will be made at AIIMS-like medical institutes proposed in Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Rishikesh, Jodhpur, Patna and Raipur. The six institutes will be set up under the public-private partnership (PPP) model, a source in the health ministry said. The institutes are expected to cost the government about Rs 2,000 crore.”

It futher adds,

“The Union government intends to outsource activities like housekeeping, sanitation, maintenance, kitchen, maintenance of hospital information system and laboratory services to the private sector in the first phase.”

1 comment June 5th, 2007

Bhubaneswar based Institute of Medical Sciences and Sum Hospital get nod for MBBS programme from 2007-08

The New Indian Express reported that

“Institute of Medical Sciences and Sum Hospital, a sister concern of city-based technical college ITER, has got the nod of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to admit 100 students to its MBBS programme from 2007-08 academic session.”

Continue Reading 1 comment June 1st, 2007