The Orissa government and the Krupaljimaharaj Trust on Monday signed an MoU to set up a Vedic University in the state. This is the fourth MoU the government has signed in the higher-education sector.
Earlier, the government had signed MoUs for Vedanta University, ICFAI University and Ravisankar University.
The Vedic University will impart education in Vedic science, Ayurveda and Naturopathy, besides the professional courses in MBA and basic degrees in science, commerce and humanities.
The Krupaljimaharaj Trust has applied for 50 acres of land in Banki tehsil area for the university. In the absence of Swami Mukundananda, who is now in the US, his nominee Ajit Kumar Kar signed the MoU on behalf of the Trust. The state higher education secretary, PK Mohapatra, signed the papers for the state government.
Meanwhile, the state government has prepared the draft bills for the other three universities for which it has signed MoUs. …
The state higher education minister, Sameer Dey, said the bills for Vedanta Unviersity, ICFAI University and Ravisankar University will be tabled in the coming session of the Orissa Assembly.
The Jagadguru Kripal Yoga Trust (JKYT), a New Delhi-based organisation, has planned to set up a world class Yog and Spiritual Science University in Orissa.
The proposed University would be set up in Mouza Banara under Banki Tahasil of Cuttack district over 250 acres of land at an estimated cost of Rs 200 crore.
… As per the MoU, the trust would pay for the land and bear all the expenses of the university, while the government would only extend the facilities like power and water supply.
The proposed university, scheduled to be completed in five years from the possession of land, had planned to impart courses in 21 disciplines.
The courses included graduation in Naturopathy, Yogic Sciences, Rural economics, Rural Development on Health, Hygiene, Homes, Human Values and Harmony in Diversity, Rural Management, Social work, Arts, Business Administration, Computer Application,Oriental learning, Science, Engineering and Yoga Therapy.
The proposed university would also impart post graduate courses in Business Administration, Oriental learning,Social work and other courses which would be added from time to time based upon the needs of the students and job opportunity.
The university would have a sports complex, recreational facilities, utility centres, mediation halls and laboratories and would develop related projects like health care system, Yogashram, Hospital, Old Age Home and cultivate medicinal plants in the alloted land.
As per the agreement the government would provide 110 acres of land in the first phase and the rest 140 acres in the second phase.
… The government has a right to cancel the lease if the land was used for the purpose other than that for which it had been sanctioned.
Orissa should follow this lead and have one university in each of its undivided districts. The undivided 13 districts of Orissa were: Puri, Cuttack, Sundargarh, Baleswar, Sambalpur, Bolangir, Kalahandi, Koraput, Phulbani, Dhenkanal, Kendujhar, Ganjam and Mayurbhanj. Among those the six districts Bolangir, Kalahandi, Koraput, Phulbani, Dhenkanal and Kendujhar do not have a university. The Orissa government should take advantage of the central government’s offer and set up a university in each of these districts.
PRESS NOTE – STATES IDENTIFIED FOR LOCATING NEW CENTRAL INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE 11TH FIVE YEAR PLAN
11:55 IST
The 11th Five Year Plan, endorsed by the National Development Council in December, 2007, envisages, inter-alia, establishment of the following new higher education institutions in the Central sector:
ATechnical Education Institutions
·8 Indian Institutes of Technology
·7 Indian Institutes of Management
BCentral Universities
·14Universities aiming at world class standards
·16Universities in States which do not have a CentralUniversity at present
2.Out of the above new institutions, location decisions had already been taken in the case of 4 IITs and one IIM. Hon’ble Prime Minister has since approved the proposals made by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, for the location of the remaining institutions as per the details given below.
Location of new IITs/ IIMs.
3.Location of 4 IITs(in Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Himachal Pradesh),and one IIM (at Shillong) have already been announced. The Central Government has now decided to locate the remaining 4 IITs and 6 IIMs in the following States :–
IIMs –Tamil Nadu, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh (Raipur), Uttarakhand and Haryana In addition, it is also proposed to convert the Institute of Technology of the BanarasHinduUniversityinto an IIT.Admission to this Institute is already based on theIIT – Joint Entrance Examination.
Location of 14 World Class Universities
4.As regards 14 Central Universities aiming atworld class standards, it has been considered necessary that these are located in or near selected large cities which would automatically have the kind of connectivity and infrastructurewhich such universities would need.Accordingly, it has been decidedto locate one such University in each of the 14 States/Regionas shownin theenclosed List, and to request concerned State Governments to identify adequate land in or near theselectedcities.
Location of 16 Central Universities in Uncovered States
5.16 States which do not have aCentral University at present, and which will get oneCentral University eachin the11th Plan areBihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Goa.Of these, in three States, existing State Universities will be taken over by the Central Government and converted into Central Universities. Thesethree Universities areDr. Hari Singh Gaur University, Sagar (in Madhya Pradesh), GuruGhasidasUniversity, Bilaspur (in Chhattisgarh), and GoaUniversity.
6.Establishment of IITs, IIMs and CentralUniversities in the above States is subject to State Governments offering adequateland at suitable locations, free of cost, for the purpose.Each of the concerned State Government is being requested to offer land accordingly.Actual establishment of these institutions would however depend, among other things, on how quickly the concerned State Governments respondby allotting adequate land at suitable locations.
State-wise List of Cities Identified for locating 14 Central Universities during theXIth Planwhich would aim to achieveworld classstandards
The State Government has so far been provided 1418.10 acre of land to the management of the upcoming Vedanta University near Puri. Out of this 264.27 acre are Government land and the rest 1153.83 acres of land are private land, said Revenue Minister Manmohan Samal.
In response to a question of BJD member Baidhar Mallick, Revenue Minister Samal said 1257 acres of land have been acquired from the 13 mouzas. "Government will acquire another 443.26 acre of government land and 4,288.37 acre of private lands for this purpose," he said. He further informed the House that 707.52 acre of lands and 5545.38 acres of private land private lands are there in the 18 mouza of this area.
Pioneers reports on a reply in the Orissa state assembly regarding groups interested in setting up of private universities that have contacted the state government. Following are some excerpts.
The State Government on Thursday said the Government has already received proposals to set up six private universities in the State. These universities included the Vedanta University, Ravishankar University, ICFAI University, Barrister Ranjit Mohanty Law University, Amity University and SBM University.
… Higher Education Minister Samir Dey said Government is planning to introduce a bill to regulate the activities of the private universities.
He further said that all the private universities have to arrange the land for setting up their own campus. But in few cases, the State Government will provide lands to the private universities. He further said that 398.811 acres of land has been provided to Utkal University. Similarly, 250 acre of land to Berhampur University, 573.11 acre to Sambalpur University, 80.73 acre to FM University, 98.02 acre to North Orissa University, 1,674 acre to Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology and 100 acres of land have been provided to Jagannath Sanskrit University.
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.
We are pleased to share with you, as well wishers of the proposed Vedanta University in Orissa, the developments to-date and our objectives in the project. The Vedanta University will be established in the state of Orissa, along the Puri-Konark highway.
We recall with pride the glorious past when Orissa had Ratnagiri University, known around the world. With the active support, encouragement and good wishes from all of you through your
constructive communication in the various blogs, e-mails and internet communications, we are confident of making Orissa once again a globally recognised center for higher learning.
Anil Agarwal Foundation, a “not for profit†institution, has been founded by Mr. Anil Agarwal, Chairman, Vedanta Resources Plc, London, for making a significant contribution to a core requirement of India viz. Education.
Financial express reports that Vedanta University is after some nobel laurates. It also mentions the proposed scale of the Vedanta University: 100,000 students; 10,000 faculty; 40,000 other employess; 10,000 acres; 15000 crore investment etc.
I am told that Vedanta University is after some top-notch people. Until their names are formally announced we can not name them here. All we can say at this point is that the people whose names are doing the round have top-notch credentials and one of them is known Inida wide.
Sambada reports that T. N. Sheshan will be meeting the CM in regards to the proposed Ravishankar University. The meeting could be about the land issue. The proposed Ravishankar University is supposed to cater 15,000 students and be of international standard. The land identified for this university is in Naraj and there is a speculation that the same land is also the top choice of DAE for NISER. Lets hope that a way out is found so that both DAE/NISER and Shri Shri Ravishankar are happy.
… 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. …
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.
The Art of Living Foundation plans a private university in Orissa. Its chief Sri Sri Ravishankar arrived in Bhubaneswar on December 10th 2006 and is expected to sign an MOU with the Orissa government on this university. The location of the university is tentatively identified as Naraj. (Note that NISER is also expected to be located in that area. Also it was earlier mentioned that the proposed National Law University will be located in Naraj.)
