Lots of unfilled positions in Orissa colleges: Samaja
November 27th, 2007
PM’s Independence day speech: 30 new central universities, 8 new IITs, 7 new IIMs
Following are the relevant excerpts from the Prime Minister’s independence day speech(TOI) (Hindu)(PIB)
Towards this end, our Government has decided to invest in setting up good quality schools across the country. We will support 6,000 new high quality schools — one in every block of the country. Each such school will set standards of excellence for other schools in the area.
As our primary education programmes achieve a degree of success, there is growing demand for secondary schools and colleges. We are committed to universalizing secondary education. An extensive programme for this is being finalized.
We will also ensure that adequate numbers of colleges are set up across the country, especially in districts where enrolment levels are low. We will help States set up colleges in 370 such districts.
The University system, which has been relatively neglected in recent years, is now the focus of our reform and development agenda. We will set up thirty new Central Universities. Every state that does not have a central university will now have one.
In order to promote science and professional education, we are setting up five new Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research, eight new Indian Institutes of Technology, seven new Indian Institutes of Management, and twenty new Indian Institutes of Information Technology. These will generate new educational opportunities for our youth. I am sure that, working together, we can ensure that at least a fifth of our children go to college as compared to one-tenth now.
The vast majority of our youth seek skilled employment after schooling. Last year I spoke the need for a Vocational Education Mission. Such a Mission is ready to be launched. We will soon launch a Mission on Vocational Education and Skill Development, through which we will open 1600 new industrial training institutes (ITIs) and polytechnics, 10,000 new vocational schools and 50,000 new Skill Development Centres.
We will ensure that annually, over 100 lakh students get vocational training – which is a four-fold increase from today’s level. We will seek the active help of the private sector in this initiative so that they not only assist in the training but also lend a hand in providing employment opportunities.
We should seek not just functional literacy, but good quality education – education that is affordable, accessible, equitable – and available to every boy and girl who seeks to study. For the needy we will provide more scholarships.
I wish to see a revolution in the field of modern education in the next few years. It is my fervent desire that India becomes a fully educated, modern, progressive nation. From this historic Red Fort, I would like this message to go to every corner of India – we will make India a nation of educated people, of skilled people, of creative people.
This is the first time eight new IITs have been formally and officially mentioned. Three of these were previously announced to be in Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar. So it would be a shame if Orissa does not get one of the remaining five.
1 comment August 15th, 2007
Orissa governmeng increases seats in more colleges
New Indian Express reports on this. Following are some excerpts.
This is the second time in a month the Higher Education Department increased the student intake capacity of junior and degree colleges. Earlier on July 12, 822 seats were added in Plus Two Science and Commerce in six government colleges.
Gangadhar Meher (GM) Autonomous College, Sambalpur, will have 96 more seats in Plus Three Commerce in addition to the existing strength of 288. The students strength in Statistics in GM Junior College has been increased from 48 to 80. However, the Science seats in the Plus Two level has remained unchanged at 256.
In NC Autonomous College, Jajpur, Commerce seats in degree level have been increased to 128 from 96.
The State Government has approved the proposal of Ramadevi Women’s College here to open Biotechnology as a self financing course. The college will have 32 seats in B.Sc Biotechnology from the ensuing academic session. Earlier, permission was granted to Government College, Rourkela, to open 32 seats in B.Sc Computer Science in self-financing mode.
This time the Government approved 176 Science seats in four junior colleges. While SCS College, Puri, will have 48 more seats in addition to 304 now, Vikram Dev College, Jeypore, Government Women’s College, Sambalpur, and Fakir Mohan Junior College, Balsore, will have 32 more seats each.
The present capacity of Vikram Dev College and Government Women’s College, Sambalpur, in Plus Two Science is 128 each while FM Junior College has 256 seats.
Plus Two Commerce seats in SCS College has been increased by 32 seats taking the total strength to 160 while in FM Junior College additional 64 seats has been approved as against 128.
In Humanities, 32 more seats have been approved for Government Women’s College, Sambalpur, as against the existing capacity of 192 seats.
July 26th, 2007
NAAC accredition of Orissa colleges and Universities
NAAC, the National Accredition and Assessment Council, an autonomous body established by UGC now does periodic assessment of colleges, universities and even specific programs. We analyze the NAAC ratings of Orissa colleges and universities below.
Among the 149 colleges of Orissa it has rated only 6 have secured an A rating. (None have an A+ rating.) They are:
Continue Reading 3 comments July 15th, 2007
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Higher education vision document in the offing
The higher education department of the government of Orissa is preparing a vision document which will be placed in the assembly. This is reported in several parts in New Indian Express (part1, part2, part3) and other papers. Following are some of the salient points; some of them are being debated and others have been decided.
- student evaluation of teachers
- higher fees in autonomous colleges
- common entrance tests for admission to autonomous colleges
- replacing pass/fail with grades
- introduction of career oriented courses
- all colleges subject to NAAC rating
- fundamental knowledge of computers for all students
- self financing courses on foreign languages
- placement cells in colleges
June 20th, 2007
WIPRO campus selection at SCS College, Puri
Sambada reports that WIPRO will visit SCS College Puri for campus selection. They will conduct a test for students in Maths, Computer Science, Statistics, Electronics, IT and Physics.
1 comment May 18th, 2007
Mail to CMO: looking out for all of Orissa in the HRD front
Dear Friends:
Its time to convey to the Orissa government that they need to look out for all of Orissa and not just BBSR/CTC/Puri areas.
Following is a draft letter that one can send to the CM (cmo at ori.nic.in) about developing higher education and medical opportunities outside of the BBSR/CTC/Puri area. This is a draft. Please make changes to your liking.
If I missed your favorite location, please add them in your letter.
best regards
Chitta
Continue Reading 9 comments April 11th, 2007
From mineral resources to human resources
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 2 comments February 26th, 2007
Dr. Digambara Patra on lack of state funded higher education institutions in undivided Kalahandi, Balangir and Boudha-Kandhamal districts.
Tathya.in has an article titled “Kalahandi Crying for Center of Higher Learning” which reports on Dr. Digambara Patra’s concerns. Following are some paragraphs from Dr. Patra’s recent mail to a newsgroup.
… Instead of looking at 30 districts, first the state government should focus on 13 undivided districts as there are still imbalances (I had made a table earlier on this
Continue Reading February 8th, 2007
Dismal state of technical education and state funded education in Orissa
Purna Mishra has created a 19 page document on the dismal status of technical education in Orissa. Commenting on that Dr. Sri Gopal Mohanty discusses below the dismal state of state funded education in Orissa. This is what he has to say:
Continue Reading February 8th, 2007
Inititiation of KBK university by state govt? Dr. Digambara Patra, November 15, 2006
… 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. …
Continue Reading 1 comment December 11th, 2006
Bhubaneswar University: Put BJB, RD, CET and Capital Hospital together
All great cities have a university with the same name. In India there is Delhi University, Bombay University, Kolkata Univesrity, Chennai University, Bangalore University, Pune University, Allahabad University, Lucknow University, University of Hyderabad, etc. Now that Bhubaneswar is growing up as a city it needs a university with the same name as the city. (Note that even in Orissa there is Sambalpur University and Berhempur University named after the towns they are in.)
For this one need not start from scratch. BJB College is perhaps the top college in Orissa now. (Ravenshaw, which is now a university, was better in some areas.) R. D. Womens College is also among the top two womens colleges in the state. CET (College of Engineering and Technology) is now preferred over other state engineering colleges.
Continue Reading 16 comments December 11th, 2006
B.Sc (Honors) in Computer Science — down the memory lane
In July 1997 during the OSA convention a few people developed a plan to introuduce B.Sc (honors) in Computer Science in Orissa colleges. This plan was written up and in December it was brought up with the Orissa government. That time the additional Chief Secretary Dr. P. K. Mishra liked the idea very much and while we were in the secretariate discussing the plan the BJB College principal and few others were called and the plan was further discussed. It was decided then and there to open this in BJB, Rama Devi, Ravenshaw, Govt. College Rourkela and few other colleges. (My memory fails me.)
The main idea was to train the excellent mathematics and physics lecturers so that
Continue Reading December 4th, 2006