Yesterday’s Dahritri has a column by senior columnist Barendra Kumar Dhal [1,2,3,4,5,6] where he lists the various initiatives and projects taken up during Biju Patnaik’s government of 1961-67. I am amazed by the list which includes many HRD institutions. Here are some of the highlights.
- Paradeep Port
- Daitari-Paradeep highway
- Mig factory in Sunabeda
- Rourkela Steel Plant
- Regional Research Laboratory
- Regional College of Education (Now called Regional Institute of Education)
- Berhampur University
- Sambalpur University
- Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology
- Sainik School
- Baragarh Cement factory
- Various factories of IDC
- Orissa textile mills (OTM)
- Kalinga Tubes
- Kalinga Iron works
Other References: Ganjam District site,wikipedia,Orissa govt. e-magazine, another.
April 24th, 2007
Update: Telegraph also reports on this.
Business Standard reports that XIM, Bhubaneswar is about to open another campus in Orissa. XIM is scouting for 100 acres of land and has a budget of 50 crores for the second campus. It has applied to AICTE for doubling its capacity. There is no definite word regarding where the second campus will be, but there were some early rumors that it could be near Dhenkanal. If it indeed opens near Dhenkanal, then it will be a big addition to Dhenkanal’s higher education offerings. Currently, Dhenkanal has the branch campus of Indian Institute of Mass Communication. With an XIM campus it will get into the national consciousness as both XIM and IIMC admit students through national level entrance examinations.
April 23rd, 2007
An earlier NISER web page said that “the Atomic Energy Commission, in its 182nd meeting held on 16.03.2007 approved the proposal for establishment of NISER at Bhubaneswar.” It is still in the process of receiving approval from the cabinet.
April 16th, 2007
Its now listed at http://www.iopb.res.in/niser/steering.php
It consists of the following people:
Continue Reading April 16th, 2007
Indian Express reports (thanks to Debendra Mohapatra for the tip on this) that the Department of Science and Technology of India has decided to offer 10,000 scholarships annually of Rs 1 lakh/year for students joining 5 year integrated M.Sc programs. The scheme was announced by the DST secretary T. Ramasami on April 10th at IISER Pune. It has not yet appeared in the Dept. of Sc. and Tech. website.
At present only few places in India offer such 5 yr M.Sc programs. Some of the places I know of are IISER Pune and Kolkata, NISER Bhubaneswar, IITs, BITs Pilani, Indian School of Mines, University of Mysore, University of Hyderabad, BESU, CUSAT, Pondicherry University, Sastra University, University of Pune, St. Xaviers Calcutta and some NITs.
It has been reported [1,2:ugc,3:kerela] that the UGC has also jumped into the fray in supporting universities and institutions that will have 5 yr integrated M.Sc programs.
This information has been passed on to key people in the Orissa government and they have promised to look into starting such programs in some of the universities and autonomous colleges in Orissa.
April 14th, 2007
The web site of NISER (National Institute of Science Education and Research) is up at http://www.iopb.res.in/niser/. Following are some of the pages in the website.
It looks like it really is going to be like IISER or even better because it has a bigger budget and better funding source (DAE). However, it still awaits cabinet approval.
April 14th, 2007
Earlier in the month there were news items in the Orissa press saying that although the 2007-08 budget has 150 crores for the AIIMS like institutions it will be mostly spent in the upgrades of exisiting medical schools and won’t be spent in the 6 new proposed AIIMS clones. I think that is not true. As the business standard article explains, in 2006 July the Health ministry had called for tenders regarding the 6 AIIMS clones. In February 2007 they have called two separate tenders, one on consultancy and the other on buildings. These are linked below. If suitable responses are received and contracts are awarded then work might start this year.
April 7th, 2007
The group of people involved in making the various documents for NISER is a distinguished one. It has people from the following institutions. Among them DCSEM, DAE is an important organization. It has distinguished itself in constructing various DAE facilities and if they are in charge of NISER construction then that would be wonderful.
- Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar
- Department of Atomic Energy
- Higher Education Department, Orissa
- IIT Bombay
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
- Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai
- University of Mumbai
- Indian Institute of Science
- DCSEM, DAE
- Bhaba Atomic Research Center
- National Physical Laboratory
- JNU
April 6th, 2007
The land for NISER has been located near Bhubaneswar/ Khurda near the Private Engineering Colleges / Barunei Hill. Dr Kakodkar, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, visited the plot of land on 30.03.2007 along with other members of the Steering Commiittee of NISER Project. The State Govt. has agreed to give 300 acres of land free of cost. Govt. has also agreed to give about 44 nos of new flats near Institute of Physics for hostel / staff quarters of NISER till the permanent campus comes up.
The first batch of students for NISER will join in September, 2007. Atomic Energy Commiision has approved the NISER Project at approximately Rs 823 / crores for a 7 year period. It will now go to the Union Cabinet for approval.
April 1st, 2007
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) aims to provide scientific industrial R & D. It had many central, national and regional research laboratories, including a regional research laboratory (RRL) in Bhubaneswar. In early March the name of all the five RRLs in Bhubaneswar, Jammu, Bhopal, Johrhat and Trivendrum have been changed.
* RRL Bhubaneswar’s name has been changed to Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (IMMT).
Continue Reading March 31st, 2007
Following are some details on the AIIMS like institute in Bhubaneswar: architecture competition; RFP for consultancy; Notice inviting tender for survey works; Reply to queries raised by bidders ; More details (Drawing1, Drawing2, Drawing3, Architect’s brief). The "Architect’s brief" is a comprehensive document on what is planned for the AIIMS like institution. In the health budget of 2007-08 there is 150 crores for the 6 new AIIMS type institutes and upgradation of 10 state govt hospitals. In 2006-07 this was 75 crores which was revised down to 10 crores. There is a rumor in Orissa papers that the 150 crores in the 2007-08 is only for upgradation and nothing will be spend on the new AIIMS like institutions. I don’t believe it. Lets wait and wtach.
March 29th, 2007
(Editor’s comment: Please read more about the noble RMTS effort and consider contributing to it.)
Dear Friends: Please read the mail below from Dr. Swadheen Pattanayak and rejoice. It has been long 4 years but it seems only the other day when the list of 30 students selected from 1st RMTS(2003) was forwarded by Swadheen, to me in December 2003. Himalaya was second of thirty in the list of merit.
Continue Reading March 24th, 2007
It seems progress is being made in this regard. A prominent leader in one of the top IT company of India is in charge of identifying a Dean for the IT/Computer Science program. I am told that T. N. Sheshan again visited Orissa last week regarding starting the university in August 2007. They are planning to have programs in medicine, sciences, and IT/Computer science, among other topics. The grapevine strongly suggests that the land overlooking Kathjodi near the origin of Kathajodi will be given to this university rather than NISER and NISER is being shown alternative land between Khurda and Jatni.
March 13th, 2007
In the 2007-08 budget there is no line item budget for NISER. Thats probably because NISER is yet to be approved by the cabinet. However, there is a significant increase in the budget of Institute of Physics and in page 5 item 9.04 it is mentioned that “the responsibility of setting up NISER at Bhubaneswar is entrusted to IOP.”
IOP’s budget (item 9.04, page 1) in 2006-07 was 4.96+9 = 13.6 crores. Its budget in 2007-08 is 32.75 + 7 = 39.5 crores. It can be safely assumed that a major chunk of the additional 25.9 crores is towards the NISER expenses. (Note that there are huge increases in the budget of couple of other institutes too. This includes Harish Chandra Research Institute, Allahabad and Institute of Plasma research, Gandhinagar.)
In the 2006-07 budget for IISERs in Pune and Kolkata (item 70) there was a total of 50 crores which was revised to 20 crores. This line item does not have numbers for 2007-08. There is another line item (item 76) on IISER with 125 crores for the 5 IISERs: the established ones in Pune and Kolkata and the 3 proposed IISERs in Bhopal, Trivendrum and Mohali, Punjab.
Thus the budget meant for NISER compares favourably with the IISER budgets.
February 28th, 2007
For some time there has been discussion that Orissa government should formulate a policy of going from mineral resources to human resources. I.e., it must cajole the various mineral based industries (steel plants, aluminium plants, coal fields etc.) in Orissa to invest in the human resource development of Orissa. So far except the announced Vedanta University, and 13 crores donated by the Tatas towards the Institute of Mathematics, the others have at most contributed small amounts towards ITI type trade schools. In this regards the GOI public sectors in Orissa have not done much.
Now Orissa must take a quick lesson from Jharkhand. Today’s Telegraph reports that Bokaro steel plant has agreed to establish an engineering college as well as a medical college in Bokaro.
Continue Reading February 26th, 2007
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