Admission notice of Food Craft Institute Balangir
This institute is established by Ministry of Tourism Government of India and Government of Orissa. This is the only centrally funded institute in the Balangir district.
3 comments May 28th, 2009
Central University of Orissa, Koraput to start classes at COATS Koraput
Update: Hindu also reports on it. In regards to the location of the permanent campus, Hindu says the following:
While speaking very high about the proposed location for establishing the university which is situated between the railway station at Koraput and Danagadeola village over an area of 565 acres of government land she said that over the next five years the university could become one of the major attractions even for the tourists for its unique green campus resembling that of many world class university campuses in the other parts of the globe.
Following is an excerpt from a report in the Pioneer.
Vice-Chancellor of the Central University, Orissa, Dr Surabhi Banerjee informed that the classes in the university at Koraput would start from August this year. The university would function temporarily at the COATS (Council of Analytical Tribal Studies) and the courses would start from under-graduation to higher studies, she said.
…, the VC visited Deola village where the proposed university will be set up over 575 acres of land. … She thanked the district administration to locate such a suitable land and … After visit of the representatives from the Ministry of Human Resource Development, the construction work would be carried out on their approval, she said.
There will be an entrance test for taking admission into the university and the entrance test would be conducted in around 15-16 centres all over India and for Orissa in Koraput, Bhubaneswar and Sambalpur. Subjects like English, Oriya, Social Sciences, Anthropology, Tribal Studies and Journalism and Mass Communication would be taught in the university, besides other higher and professional courses. Different kinds of schools will be opened on the campus like the Jawaharlal Nehru University and the head office of the university would function at Koraput and the transit office to recruit lecturers, readers, professors, management and other staff will function at Bhubaneswar, the VC informed.
The Central Government has approved the university for five years for the time being and the classes would start in the COATS which is being managed by Sabara Srikshetra Jagannath Mandir Management Committee and the existing Gyan Mandir, library and tribal museum are an added advantage for the students of the university, she said.
Among others, Registrar BK Mishra, Financial Advisor P Pati and Liaisoning Officer and Coordinator Ganesh Chandra Roul attended the Press conference.
7 comments May 25th, 2009
Institute of Mathematics and Applications to train 52 tribal students from KBK for IIT/NIT/NISER: Ad in Dharitri
2 comments May 14th, 2009
Tathya.in scrolling headline: New Agriculture college in the offing
I hope it is in the KBK+Gajapati+Kandhamala region. See http://www.tathya.in/2008/index.asp.
December 27th, 2008
Land identified in Koraput for Central University; Branch of IGNTU proposed for Phulbani
The following is from Samaja.
It is high time people of Kalahandi go to the CM for higher education institutes in Kalahandi. In particular they should demand a state university and a centrally funded BPIET (Biju Patnaik Inst of Engineering and Technology) in the line of SLIET and ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury IET. The people of Kalahandi need to be strategic in terms of what they can get at this time. For example, UCE Burla supporters initially, for several years, were going after a deemed university status. It was going very slowly. Once they switched to demanding for state unitary university status, things happened fast. Similarly, people of Kalahandi should realize that they should not put all their egg in one basket. IMHO, shifting of the location from Koraput to Kalahandi after the location is announced by the CM and mentioned in the assembly is unlikely, and I hope I am wrong, but a new central university in Kalahandi has a low chance of happening soon. So as a practical matter people of Kalahandi should, for now, ask for a state university and a BPIET. They don’t have to retract their demand for a central university; that can continue.
16 comments December 19th, 2008
Centrally funded non-NIT/IIT engineering colleges in various states; need a KBKIET in Kalahandi
Besides IITs and NITs some centrally funded engineering colleges are being established by the central govt. in various states. This includes the Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology in Punjab and Central Institute of Technology, Kokrajhar, Assam.
Following is a PIB report on a similar institute being established in Malda, West Bengal.
The Union Cabinet today gave its approval for establishment of Ghani Khan Choudhary Institute of Engineering & Technology, as a Centrally funded institution in Malda, West Bengal on the modular pattern of teaching as adopted by Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering & Technology (SLIET), Longowal, Punjab. The Institution will offer courses in Engineering and Technology to cater to the various manpower requirements of the region, with special emphasis on courses relevant to the local population such as in food technology & sericulture.
Initially, the Institution would start with Certificate level courses leading to Diploma, Degree and Post-graduate levels later.
The total project outlay of the Institute will be around Rs. 97 crores.
Orissa should ask for a similar engineering college to cater to the backward KBK+ districts and located in Kalahandi.
Koraput will have the central university; Branch of IGNTU is being pursued in Kandhamala. So an engineering college like SLIET should be located in Kalahandi. The institute can be called KBK institute of Engineering and Technology (KBKIET).
November 20th, 2008
Naveen asks for a regional center of IGNTU in Kandhamal and more
Update: Pioneer reported on this; Expressbuzz.com reported on this; Zee news reported on this.
Following is an excerpt from a PTI report in Hindu:
Orissa government has asked the Centre to adopt a long term plan for Kandhamal, prone to ethno-communal violence instead of seeking any quick solution, official sources said on Tuesday.
Orissa’s suggestion came after the high-level central team headed by Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, which visited Kandhamal today, sought to know what assistance was needed in mitigating the problems there.
"The Centre wants to support Orissa in building confidence among all sections of the people in Kandhamal," Pawar told reporters after the team arrived here yesterday.
Identifying backwardness in education, lack of connectivity and poor livelihood means as the cause behind the ethno-communal violence in Kandhamal, Orissa government asked the Centre to set up a campus of the National Tribal University, Amarkantak at Phulbani, the district headquarter town.
"As scheduled tribes constitute 52 per cent of Kandhamal’s population, it is proposed to have one Ekalavya model residential school (EMRS) in each block to cater to the needs of tribal children," …
This apart, the state government also asked for at least six schedule caste hostels to cater the children of SCs who comprise 17 per cent of the total population in the district . ..
Following is from a report in tathya.in.
Naveen Patnaik has demanded for a Regional Centre of Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU) in Kandhamal.
Presenting the memorandum to the Central Ministerial Team headed by Sharad Pawar, the Chief Minister pleaded for the Centre of Higher Learning in the riot –hit tribal zone.
… He said it will go a long way to provide education to the tribal youth, who are in difficult situation.
Following is from Sambada. It mentions the demand for an ICAR lab.
November 18th, 2008
Two third of IGNTU students are tribals
Following is from a PTI report.
Tue-Sep 16, 2008
New Delhi / Press Trust of India
The first tribal university of the country, which aims at promoting higher education among the Scheduled Tribes, has started functioning from this session in Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh but sans teachers and a campus of its own.Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU), the first of its kind dedicated for education and research on tribals, has given admission to 150 students this year. It will offer courses in humanities and commerce.
"We have given admission to about 150 students, including 100 belonging to tribal communities. We are offering Bachelor Degree programmes in anthropology, tourism, political science, geography, history and commerce," IGNTU Vice-Chancellor C D Singh told PTI.
The university, which is yet to have its own Academic Council, has adopted the syllabus of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) for the courses.
HRD Minister Arjun Singh had laid the foundation of the university at Amarkantak on April 19 this year. However, the land is yet to be acquired for its campus.
"We have hired a building of an Ashram in Amarkantak where we will conduct classes. Hope we will get the land soon from the state government," the Vice-Chancellor said.
A major portion of the land earmarked for the campus comes under forest area. It has not been transferred to the university till date.
The university has started the process of recruiting its registrar and teaching faculty.
The courses on anthropology and tourism will touch upon the tribals’ tradition and culture, he said.
"We will start research on tribal art, culture, tradition, language, custom, medicinal system, forest-based economic activities including special studies in flora and fauna and advancement in technologies relating to natural resources of tribal areas. All these will start after we get the campus and adequate staff," the Vice-Chancellor said.
The university, set up under a Central law enacted last year, will have jurisdiction all over the country and will be funded by the University Grants Commission.
The education of the tribal people has been a matter of concern in view of low gross enrolment ratio (GER), the percentage of people of the relevant age group in the realm of higher education. While the national GER is 11.6 percent, the GER of the tribals is a meagre 6.6 percent.
The university, which will be broadly on the pattern of existing Central universities, will cater particularly to the tribal people in Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat, he said.
Besides headquarters at Amarkantak, the university will have regional centres and campuses in other tribal concentrated areas, the Vice-Chancellor said.
Authorities of the university like executive council, academic council, college development council, boards of studies, academic boards, management boards and finance committees will have adequate number of members from among the Scheduled Tribes, he said.
Amarkantak has been selected as the site for the university because it is a central point in the tribal areas stretching between Madhya Pradesh, Chhattishgarh, Jharkhand and Maharashtra.
2 comments November 16th, 2008
Manipur campus of IGNTU approved
Following is an excerpt from a report in e-pao.net.
New Delhi, November 11 2008:
STATE CHIEF Minister Okram Ibobi along with the Education Minister L Jayantakumar and the Tribal Development Minister DD Thaisii met Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh at the Prime Minister’s Office here this afternoon in connection with the reservation policy for recruitment of scheduled tribes in Manipur University and opening of a regional centre of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University in Manipur.
During the half an hour meeting, Chief Minister Ibobi told the Prime Minister that the Manipur University, which was a State University , became a Central University in the year 2005.The All Tribal Students’ Union of Manipur (ATSUM) and Manipur University Tribal Students’ Union (MUTSU) had been requesting the Central Government as well as the State Government seeking adoption of the State Government’s reservation policy in matters of recruitment in the Manipur University.
The Chief Minister further stated that based on the population composition of Manipur, the reservation policy of the State Government stipulated 31 pc reservation for Scheduled Tribes and 2 pc for the Scheduled Castes, as against 7.5 pc for Scheduled Tribes and 15 pc for Scheduled Castes in the Central Reservation Policy.
As such, the State Government had recommended to the Central Government the adoption of the State Reservation Policy by the Manipur University as a special dispensation keeping in view of the ethnic composition of Manipur.
O Ibobi also referred to the establishment of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University at Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh by a Central Act namely the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University Act 2007.This Act empowered the University to make special provisions for the employment or admission of women, persons with disabilities or of persons belonging to the weaker sections of the society and, in particular, of the Scheduled Castes and scheduled Tribes.
The Chief Minister further expressed that Manipur had nine districts; out of which five districts were predominantly inhabited by the tribal communities.
The facilities for imparting education in hill districts were inadequate.
It would help a great deal in promoting education among the tribal communities of the State, if a Regional Centre of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University had been established in one of the hill districts of Manipur.
He demanded for setting up a Centre of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University in one of the hill districts of Manipur.
After patient hearing, the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh expressed that the rectification of the Central Reservation Policy required an amendment of the policy and it would take time.
But the Centre would see the possible way to rectify it.
In regards to the opening of a Regional Centre of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University in Manipur, the Prime Minister nodded enthusiastically at the proposal.
He advised the Union Secretary of Higher Education Shri Rameshwar Pal Agrawal who was also in the meeting asked to sit with the Ministers from Manipur tomorrow at 4 pm for working out the modality for opening of the Centre in Manipur.
Tomorrow, the Manipur Education minister Shri L.Jayantakumar Singh and the Tribal Development Minister Shri D.D.Thaisii will sit with the Union Secretary (Higher Education) Shri R.P.Agrawal at Shastri Bhavan here to chalk out the modality for opening of the Regional Centre of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University in one of the hill districts of Manipur.
Following is an excerpt from the report in e-pao.net on the follow-up meeting.
November 13 2008: STATE CHIEF Minister Okram Ibobi and the Education Minister L Jayantakumar on Wednesday met the Union Minister for Human Resources Development Arjun Singh at Shastri Bhawan here to relay the assurance of the Prime Minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh made on the previous day for opening of the Manipur campus of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University.
The meeting lasted for about 10 minutes.
In the afternoon at 4 pm on Wednesday at Shastri Bhawan here; the Manipur Education Minister L Jayantakumar, Tribal Development Minister DD Thaisii and students leaders had an hour long discussion with the Union Secretary (Higher Education) RP Agrawal assisted by two Joint Secretaries for formulation of the proposed Manipur campus of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh.
The Union Secretary (Higher Education) informed the Manipur Ministers that the matter regarding the opening of a Regional Centre of the University in Manipur had been communicated to the Vice Chancellor of the University.An expert group consisting of the representatives of Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi and Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi had been formed for preparation of Detailed Project Reports of the proposed Centre in Manipur.
RP Agrawal also communicated to them for sending a high level team comprising of representatives from the Ministry of Human Resource Development and the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University to Manipur very soon to see the suitable location of the Centre.
The Secretary asked the Manipur representatives to find out a suitable location of the area of 500 to 700 acres.
He informed them that the appointment of faculty staff of the Centre would be done on the basis of the all-India norm and as for the admission of the students; it would be based on the ethnic composition of the State.
… The Manipur Tribal Development Minister DD Thaisii said here today that the opening of the regional centre of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University would have a good opportunity not only for the tribal people of the region but also for the general people in learning different subjects in the University.
The Minister further stated that the proposed regional centre in Manipur would be the first campus of the University.
The Union Secretary told them that the Ministry received many proposals from different States for opening of the branches of the University in their respective States, he added.
Why is not Orissa proposing one such regional center in one of its tribal districts? At the current moment Kandhamala would be an easy sell.
4 comments November 14th, 2008
Scheme for Girls’ Hostel for students of secondary and higher secondary schools
Following is from http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=43337.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs today gave its approval for a revised centrally sponsored scheme for construction and running of girls’ hostels for students of secondary and higher secondary schools in each of the educationally backward block during the 11th Five year Plan. The CCEA also gave its approval to incur and expenditure of Rs.2000 crore as Central share with a sharing pattern of 90:10 between the Centre and the States. The revised scheme provides for construction of 3500 hostels through State Governments in all the educationally backward blocks in the country in addition to recurring grant to meet the need of inmates.
October 3rd, 2008
Three new ITIs to be set up in Kandhamala
Following is an excerpt from a report in Expressbuzz.
The State Government Thursday decided to facilitate setting up of three more Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) in Kandhamal district which is limping back to normalcy from communal cauldron. The State-run Orissa Mining Corporation (OMC) and Orissa Hydro Power Corporation (OHPC) will be asked to set up two ITIs while the Government is contemplating to request Vedanta to set up the third one as part of its social responsibility for the State.
A high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today reviewed the Kandhamal situation and the progress achieved on the rehabilitation front.The Chief Minister reportedly directed the Industries Department to take up the issue with OMC and OHPC for the proposed ITIs which should come up as early as possible. The Government will provide land free of cost. It has been decided to set up the proposed ITIs at the block headquarters of Tumudibandha, Baliguda and G Udaygiri.
At present, the only Government ITI is located at Phulbani while a privately managed Industrial Training Centre (ITC) is also functioning in the district. The Chief Minister also directed the Industries Department to convert the Phulbani ITI into a centre of excellence by pooling assistance from industrial and corporate houses.
September 12th, 2008
Expert committee report on 374 model colleges in educationally backward districts
The expert committee report is at http://www.ugc.ac.in/notices/dpr374modelcolleges.html. The list of 374 districts contains 18 districts from Orissa. They are: Malkangiri, Baudh, Kandhamal, Nuapada, Nabrangpur, Gajapati, Koraput, Sonapur, Bargarh, Deogarh, Kalahandi, Balangir, Anugul, Rayagada, Kendujhar, Ganjam, Nayagarh, Dhenkanal. Of these, Malkangiri and Baudha are in Phase 1 with CPI (colleges per lakh population) below 4, Kandhamal and Nuapada in Phase 2 with CPI 4 to 8, and the rest in Phase 3 with CPI 8.1-12.4.
Following are some excerpts from that report:
The criteria for identification of location within the district may be the following:
a. The college has to be located in an area of the district having no college in the vicinity of 10 km radius.
b. Predominantly rural location where the proportion of rural population in area is higher than the State average
c. A new college as an additional one in the vicinity shall be permitted only if the existing college has more than 1000 students, or there is no separate college for women in the area of 10 km. radius.
d. Accessibility : The location of the college should be such that it is accessible, i.e. reasonably well connected by transport facilities so that the college may serve a larger catchments area.
e. Population density: The proposed college should be located subject to fulfillment of the above-mentioned criteria in locations having higher population density in comparison with other contending locations.
4.1. Non- recurring Budget requirements:
4..1.1. Land : Since the Model colleges are to be established in rural, hilly, forest, tribal and other priority areas as per the criteria already described in chapter.2., a minimum of 10 acres of land need to be provided by the State Government concerned to each of the college in the identified low GER district.
4.1.2. Non recurring infrastructure requirements per college:4.1.2.1. Academic & administrative buildings (3000 sq.mtrs) : 2.5 crores
4.1.2.2. Campus development : 2.0 crores
4.1.2.3. Hostels for 100 students : 1.0 crores*
4.1.2.4.Teachers’/Non teaching quarters – 20 each; : 2.5 crores
4.1.2.5. Laboratories : 0.2 crore
4.1.2.6. Library : 0.2 crore
4.1.2.7. Computer Centre : 0.2 crore
4.1.2.8. Health centre : 0.1 crore
4.1.2.9. sports facilities : 0.1 crore
4.1.2.10 Miscellaneous : 0.2 crore
Total per College Non-recurring :9.0 Crores.
* the expenditure towards hostel could be sanctioned through the UGC special scheme for “ hostels”. The net Non-recurring requirements would thus be Rs.8.0. crores per college.
4.1.2. Recurring Budget requirement: It would involve the salary requirements for 25 teaching and 25 nonteaching personnel for each college and the college maintenance expenditure of Rs.50.0 lakhs per annum to be provided by the State government concerned.
4.1.4.1. Model I: Fully Government supported Colleges:
Non-Recurring : 100 % by Central Government, while the required land for the colleges has to be provided by the State Govt.
(This pattern of financial support by Central Govt. is necessary to motivate the State Governments to
establish these model colleges in the Low GER districts adhering to the criteria suggested for actual location of these Colleges within the LOW GER districts) Recurring : 100% by the State Government;
September 7th, 2008
UGC recommends 735 additional universities; actions that Orissa needs to take
Following is from a report in Economic Times.
To increase the enrolment rate in higher education, a UGC committee has suggested starting an additional 735 universities in the country during the 11th Plan ending 2012.
The UGC committee, comprising Prof Duraisami of Madras University and Prof Sudhansu Bhusan of National University of Education Planning and Administration, has said that more universities will be needed to increase gross enrolment rate — the percentage of youths in the age group of 18-24 years in higher education — to 15 per cent from the 10 per cent at present.
The committee, set up to suggest reforms on the affiliation system and monitoring of education in 11th plan, has worked out a formula of 20,000 students per university to achieve the target. As per this criteria, the requirement would be 735 universities in the country by 2012, the report said.
"We will study the report and make a final suggestion to the state governments for starting the new varsities," UGC Chairman Prof Sukhadeo Thorat said.
At present there are 388 universities in the country. The committee’s report assumes significance in view of the estimation of National Knowledge Commission last year, when it said that at least 1,500 universities are needed to make India a knowledge society.
The enrolment ratio in higher education is abysmal 10 per cent in India. It is less than eight per cent in states like Assam, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Uttarakhand.
Orissa’s population is 36,706,920, while India’s population is 1,129,866,154. So Orissa’s population is 3.24% of India’s population. So if India’s universities need to increase to a total of 388+735 = 1123. Then Orissa’s share should be 3.24% of that, which is 36.4. Considering Orissa at less than 8% is behind the national average of 10% in terms of enrolment ratio, Orissa will need to have at least 45.5, or say 46 universities. (This is based on using the 8% number for Orissa. It is actually a little over 6 for Orissa. So another 10 may be needed. But for the 11th plan lets stick with the number 46.)
- The exisiting universities in Orissa are (13): Utkal, Sambalpur, Berhampur, NOU, FMU, OUAT, KIIT, SOS, Culture U, Ravenshaw, Sri Jagannath, NIT RKL, BPUT.
- The new universities that are under construction are (8): WCCU, KBK Central, Sri Sri U, Vedanta U, ICFAI, Jagadguru, National Law U, Orissa Open University
- Some institutes that are operating or under construction and that could become universities are (4): IIIT Bhubaneswar, IIT Bhubaneswar, NISER Bhubaneswar, AIIMS Bhubaneswar
- Some institutes that may be opened and become universities are (3) : IIIT Berhampur, BITS, NID
- Some colleges that have applied for deemed university status are (8): Krupajal, CEB, ASBM, Gunupur, Koustuv, Hi-Tech, CV Raman, UCE/OIT.
- So the state needs to make at least 10 more universities.
- One should be made in each of the undivided 13 districts which do not have a university yet. The 13 undivided districts are: Puri, Cuttack, Sundargarh, Baleswar, Sambalpur, Bolangir, Kalahandi, Koraput, Phulbani, Dhenkanal, Kendujhar, Ganjam and Mayurbhanj. Among them the five districts of Balangir, Kalahandi (Bhawanipatna), Phulbani, Dhenkanal (Angul) and Kendujhar do not have a university nor any new one has yet been announced. So the state should establish 5 universities, one each in each of these undivided districts.
- CET Bhubaneswar should be made to a university.
- A comprehensive university should be established in Rourkela.
- A Bhubaneswar-Cuttack metropolitan university consisting of all government colleges in the Bhubaneswar and Cuttack area should be made.
- Berhampur medical college should be made to a unitary health university.
- A health university encompassing all of Orissa, with possible head quarters in Naraj should be made.
- During the 12th and 13th plan at least the undivided districts which do not have two universities should get their second one (8): Those would be Baleswar (Bhadrakh), Balangir (Titlagarh), Kalahandi (Nabarangpur), Koraput (Malkangiri), Phulbani (Boudha), Dhenkanal, Kendujhar (Joda) and Mayurbhanj (Bangiriposi).
- In addition universities may be established in major population centers without an university. These places include (5): Rayagada, Kalinganagar, Paradeep, Parlakhemundi, Jharsuguda,
- And in districts which do not yet have a university (5): Bargarh, Deogarh, Kendrapada, Nayagarh, Nuapada, Sonepur.
If someone thinks that the above is too many, then they should compare the number of universities in California, whose population,at 36,553,215, is around the same as that of Orissa. However, Orissa’s area at 155,707 sq km is less than 40% of California’s area of 410,000 sq km.
9 comments August 10th, 2008