The following bullet points about the guidelines are from this article in tathya.in.
- The committee that will examine the proposals based on the guidelines will be headed by the Chief Secretary and Secretary of the Higher Education will be the Member Convener.
- Each private university shall be established by a separate Act, which will be passed by Odisha Legislative Assembly.
- Private university shall fulfill the minimum criteria in terms of programs, faculty, infrastructural facilities and financial viability.
- Any college opting to establish a private university should have been in existence for at least 15 years in the state, however in deserving cases the State Government may relax the condition of 15 years for
institutes of national and international repute.
- In ‘De Novo’ university category, where no such institution belonging to the promoter exists within Odisha as on date of commencement of the university will be devoted to unique and emerging areas of knowledge. These institutions should be promoted by persons/institutions of proven merit and reputation. Selection of universities in this category will be made by a committee of experts comprising eminent academicians and the Secretary of the department concerned dealing with the subject.
- Infrastructure requirement: At least 15 acres of land in urban area and 30 acres of land in non-urban area will be needed. For administrative building 1000 square meter and academic building 10,000 square meter will be required for a private university. Residential accommodation for teachers and hostel accommodation for students will be required.
- Corpus Fund: For institutions conducting professional program such as Engineering & Technology and Medicine it will be Rs.8 crore, where as for Management and Law it will be Rs.5 crore and for other programs Rs.4 crore kitty will be needed. For institutions conducting both professional and other programs will have Rs.10 as Corpus Fund, while for the ‘De Novo’ category of university; the Corpus Fund will be Rs.25 crore.
- Financial viability of the institution will be verified by the audited statements of accounts of the institutions for the previous 5 years.
- The Chancellor of the university will be an eminent educationist or a distinguished public figure and there will be no Pro-Chancellor.
- The Board of Management will be headed by the Vice Chancellor with the body consisting a minimum of 10 and maximum of 12 Members.
In the link https://www.orissalinks.com/archives/7127 we have the list of applicants as of 8/20/2011. Let us analyze some of those application in terms of the above criteria. (In that we will use the link https://www.orissalinks.com/archives/6243 which includes the dates when various professional colleges were started.)
- Centurion: Established on 12/23/2010. Its main constituent JITM started in 1997.
- Sri Sri: Act passed by GOO on 12/26/09. Classes to start in Fall 2012. Would have been considered in the de-novo category.
- ICFAI: Act passed by GOO on 3/9/10. No progress since then. Would have been considered in the de-novo category.
- Vedanta University: Bill passed by OLA in December 2009. Awaiting governor’s assent. Also awaiting supreme court verdict on land acquisition.
- Jagadguru Kripalu University: Would be considered in de-novo category.
- Xavier University: XIMB was started in 1987.
- Techno Global University: Techno started in 2005. It will have 15 years experience in 2020.
- Amrita Viswa Vidyapeetham University: Would be considered in de-novo category.
- Synergy University: Synergy started in 1999. It will have 15 years experience in 2014.
- Women’s university of Technology: Not sure about the foundation that is behind this. Could be KISD. KISD was started in 2001.
- Private University by Rai foundation: Would be considered in de-novo category.
- Amity University: Would be considered in de-novo category.
- University of Corporate Excellence: Would be considered in de-novo category.
- Silicon University: Silicon was started in 2001.
- ASBM University: Not sure when ASBM was started.
- Divine Global University by Divine Education Trust, Delhi: No idea about the trust behind it.
- GIET University, Gunupur: GIET was started in 1997.
- C. V. Raman International University Bhubaneswar: C. V. Raman was started in 1997.
- JPM University by Shree Chandulal Minda Memorial Trust: Do not know about this trust.
- Krupajal National University: Krupajal was started in 1999.
- Manipal: Would be considered in de-novo category.
- Odia University: Would be considered in de-novo category.
- Edu City in Rourkela by Knowledge Foundation, Jail Road, Jharpada, Bhubaneswar: Do not know about this trust.
So among the above XIMB, GIET and CVRaman have the required 15 years experience; Synergy and Krupajal will have that in 2014.
July 28th, 2012
Update: A bit of Googling revealed that the trust also approached Andhra Pradesh about 2 weeks back. See http://expressbuzz.com/cities/hyderabad/amritanandamayi-math-plans-to-set-up-university/197221.html. Since their proposal to Odisha was sent about a year back, it is not clear if they are still interested in Odisha or because of Odisha’s delay they will go to Hyderabad. While their VC went to Hyderabad to meet AP CM, no one of that stature came to Odisha. So if Odisha really wants it they must move fast in offering the land.
Following is from a report in orissadiary.com.
Mata Amritanandamayi Math Trust proposed to set up an ultra modern medical college and hospital in the state. The Government has approved the proposal of the Mata Amritanandamayi Math Trust on Thursday for setting up of an ultra modern university in city at an investment of Rs 700 crore. In the first phase the Trust will invest a sum of Rs 500 crore and the admission will be started within two years.
The Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has approved the proposal of the Trust on Thursday . The proposed university would be provided 150 acres of land somewhere between Bhubaneswar and Khurda.
The Higher Education Minister Debi Prasad Mishra. said that the Chief Minister has approved the proposal of the Math Trust . As per the proposal, the Trust would set up a medical college and hospital along with institutions which would impart engineering, nano technology, biotechnology, ayurveda, Arts and Science subjects. The university would have facilities for imparting various courses to nearly 25 thousand students of which five percent would be reserved for meritorious students belonging to BPL families. It would provide study loans to the poor meritorious students. The Trust would also open off-campuses in other cities of the State, he said.
Informing about the success story of the universities set up by the Trust, the Minister said the former has already set up five universities in three States including Coimbatore of Tamil Nadu and Keral which have been successfully imparting quality education. The proposed university would invest Rs 3 crore per each bed in its medical college and hospital.
The trust has set a target to start admissions in two years time. It would begin the construction work forthwith after lands are allotted and no special legislation would be required, Minister said.
Indeed this trust has set up some very good institutions in the south. Its main institution, Amrita University is a very good university with campuses in Kerala at Amritapuri and Kochi, in Karnataka at Bangalore and Mysore, and in Tamil Nadu at Ettimadai. (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amrita_Vishwa_Vidyapeetham ) Its vice Chancellor Dr. P. Venkat Rangan is a well known scientist and very well respected in the US. Please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venkat_Rangan . He became a full professor at the age of 33 in a top US University (Univ of California San Diego). Amrita University‘s business, engineering and medical schools are nationally ranked: Amrita School of Business is ranked 28 (2010 rediff careers 360 ranking); Amrita School of Engineering is ranked 27 (2009 Dataquest ranking) and Amrita School of Medical Sciences is ranked 18 (2009 India Today ranking). It has Schools of Engineering at Amritapuri, Bangalore and Ettimadai (Coimbatore), School of Business at Ettimadai Schools of Arts and Sciences at Amritapuri and Mysore, Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy and Dentistry at Kochi, and many other schools. It is in collaboration with major US Universities http://www.amrita.edu/indo-us/ . It is one of the very few universities in India that offers a dual Masters degree program together with a top US university (SUNY Buffalo).
Some may be disappointed that why this university in Bhubaneswar and not in another place in Odisha. The following is what I was told. Some Odia disciples of Mata Amrutanandamayi approached the government about this almost a year back. The government proposed them another location away from Bhubaneswar. The organization wanted Bhubaneswar. The last I heard the stalemate was going on. Today I read in the paper about this.
There is one lesson one can take away from this and other recent examples. Other locations which want such institutions should contact appropriate trusts and let the trust propose their location. I think the government will support that. Not only that if the location that is proposed is a backward area the government would chip in with land as well as 10 crores. The recent medical college proposal for Keonjhar comes to mind. So that is where the energy should be put. Alternatively, one may follow the JITM route, which now is a state university in Parlakhemundi. One needs to take such initiatives and be motivated by successes at other places.
For example, now that various organizations came together and successfully stopped Vedanta mining in Kalhandi, those organizations should be contacted to help the development of Kalahandi in other ways starting with higher educational institutions and eco-tourism infrastructure. I think Dr. Digambar Patra has already contacted some of them, but a more concerted effort would be good.
The SAIL medical college effort is also in the right direction. Please consider signing the petition at http://www.petitionodisha.in/health-care/sail-medical-college-at-rourkela/ .
Also, making efforts to improve the infrastructure in other places so that outside trusts are interested in those places is equally important. In that regard please consider signing the petition at http://www.petitionodisha.in/transportation/immediate-upgradation-of-airports-of-odisha/ which is about establishing functioning airports at Jharsuguda and Jeypore and initiating international flights to Bhubaneswar.
August 27th, 2010
