Pioneer: Naveen shoots off letter to PM over central varisty in KBK
June 20th, 2007
Ganjam district has the maximum number of out-of-school students in Orissa
As per a report in Times of India, Ganjam district has the maximum number of out-of-school students in Orissa. It has 63,546 out of school students. The state govt. should pay special attention to Ganjam in this regard.
June 20th, 2007
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
Orissatv.com: Center’s decision to shift proposed tribal university to Madhya Pradesh objected – CM says it is another example of center’s negligence
Orissatv.com in its report on this topic (video) also does not mince words. Following are some excerpts from their article.
After IIT and National Institute of Science, Orissa has been deprived of another reputed institute. This time it is the Tribal University. The Centre has decided to shift it to Madhya Pradesh. Chief Minister Naveen Pattnaik has termed it as yet another example of the Centre’s step-motherly attitude towards the state. … Time and again the state government had alleged center’s negligence towards the state. But there has been no perceptible change in centre’s attitude, rather it is worsening day by day.
June 19th, 2007
Fax campaign against repeated injustice by MHRD
Dear Readers:
I hope many of you are enraged and disgusted by this repeated injustice meted out to Orissa by the MHRD; especially now it seems that the MHRD has orchestrated hijacking of a good, sensible and extremely relevant idea proposed by our chief minister: the idea of tribal central university in the KBK region with the goal of catering to the 50% tribal population in that area and 38% tribal population across Orissa.
Often many have blamed the Orissa government for not taking timely initiatives or not coming up with innovative ideas, but this time it took the initiative, it suggested a great idea, followed up on it regularly, but the end result is same; the idea gets implemented in the home state of the minister of HRD Mr. Arjun Singh.
We must convey our displeasure, disgust, deep disappointment and anger to the central government. Please fax a letter to the PMO (fax numbers: 011-2301-8668, 2301-5470, 2301-5603, 2301-8939 ) and also fax a copy of that letter to the CMO (0674-2400100 ) and Mr. Chandrasekhar Sahu (011-23061695), the sole central minister from Orissa. After that we must follow-up with the CMO (cmo@ori.nic.in) by email and Mr. Sahu by phone (Personal Secy: 09868501233 off: 011-23792469, 23792470) and tell them to take our faxes and meet the PM and the national press with all our faxes and do a dharana until the two immediate injustices of moving an IIT in Orissa after it was announced and stealing the idea of a tribal university proposed for the KBK area are corrected. Following are some pointers and points which may help in writing your letter. I am making it short so that its easier for you to draft the letter.
Continue Reading 2 comments June 18th, 2007
Pioneer: Arjun hijacks plans for KBK varisty
Pioneer and Tathya.in don’t mince words when they have articles with headlines “Arjun hijacks plans for KBK varsity” and “Arjun hijacks Naveen’s plans.” With permission from the author I am including the full Pioneer article below.
[If you are outraged by this you may write to various people (PM etc.; Orissa MPs; national editors; accredited media in Delhi) and send a fax to Mr. Chandrasekhar Sahu ( Personal Secy: 09868501233 off: 011-23792469,23792470 Fax 011-23061695), the sole central minister from Orissa. May be he has a spine and he will take the letters to the PM and do a dharana there.]
Arjun hijacks plans for KBK varisty
Braja Kishore Mishra | Bhubaneswar
… Union Cabinet gives nod for setting up institution in MP
Union Minister for Human Resources and Development Arjun Singh has once again humiliated Orissa by hijacking its original plan to set up a Central Tribal University in the KBK region comprising the State’s undivided districts of Koaraput, Balangir and Kalahandi.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, while meeting the Minister in 2005 October (typo corrected), had mooted the idea of setting up a KBK central university. It was based on the theory of empowerment of tribals with higher education.
Patnaik had pleaded with the Central authorities that the concentration of tribals is the highest in KBK and their uplift hinged on education. He had pointed out that the literacy rate among the people of this region was much below 50 per cent.
He had argued that setting up a Central University in the region would go a long way in encouraging higher education among the tribal population. The university could also set up specialised centres for tribal development-related studies, as tribal development is one of the biggest challenges facing the country today.
While Arjun Singh had promised Patnaik in clear terms that his HRD Ministry would positively consider the proposal, the result is now otherwise. The Union Cabinet on Friday gave its approval for establishment of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University at Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh with Central Government funding.
It also approved introduction of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University Bill, 2007 in Parliament. This will ensure establishment of a teaching and affiliating university for facilitating and promoting avenues of higher education and research facilities for the tribal population of the country.
Apart from affiliating the colleges, the university has the power to establish such number of its own regional centres in tribal areas as it may deem fit.
There will be at least one school in every regional centre to serve as a model school for the schools of the region, wherefrom the tribal students would be expected to join the local colleges, the off-campuses or the university. The objectives of the university include promoting studies and research in tribal art, culture, tradition, language, custom, medicinal systems, forest based economic activities, including special studies in the flora and fauna, and advancements in technologies relating to natural resources of the tribal areas.
Now, it is abundantly clear that Singh not only hijacked Patnaik’s idea but also saw to it that Orissa would never get a Central University in the KBK region on the lines of huge tribal concentration. Since the UPA is at the helm of affairs at the Centre, Singh is playing havoc with Orissa and the State is losing one after another national institutions to other States. While Minister of State of HRD MA Fatmi had announced a proposal to set up an IIT in Orissa, it was later shifted to Andhra Pradesh by Singh, on political considerations, said sources.
June 17th, 2007
Indira Gandhi National Tribal University in Madhya Pradesh – Orissa had proposed a similar university in KBK
The Union Cabinet today gave its approval for establishment of Indira Gandhi National Tribal University in Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh with Central Government funding. It also approved introduction of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University Bill, 2007 in the Parliament.
This would ensure establishment of a teaching and affiliating University for facilitating and promoting avenues of higher education and research facilities for the tribal population of the country.
The objects of the University include inter-alia, promoting studies and research in tribal art, culture, tradition, language, custom, medicinal systems, forest based economic activities, including special studies in the flora and fauna, and advancements in technologies relating to natural resources of the tribal areas.
Apart from affiliating the colleges, the University has the power to establish such number of its own regional centers in tribal areas as the University may deem fit.
There will be at least one school in every regional Centre, to serve as a model school for the schools of the region, where from the tribal students would be expected to join the local colleges, the off-campuses or the University.
Another news item mentions the financial parameters and objectives of this university. It says:
The initial financial requirement of the proposed varsity is estimated at Rs.600 million and a recurring expenditure of Rs.120 million annually.
‘The objects of the university include inter-alia, promoting studies and research in tribal art, culture, tradition, language, custom, medicinal systems, forest based economic activities, including special studies in the flora and fauna, and advancements in technologies relating to natural resources of the tribal areas,’ Information and Broadcasting Minister P.R. Dashmunsi said after a cabinet meeting.
The Rs 600 million number sounds too low. My guess is that it is a typo and the unit should be crores instead of millions.
**
A tribal central university, or central universities in tribal areas is a good idea about which I earlier wrote in Indian Express. However, a similar idea was suggested by Orissa, couple of years back, which the HRD minister had appreciated. Following is an excerpt from the press release issued by Orissa government at that time:
… In addition to this, Shri Patnaik also requested for establishment of a Central University for the KBK Region, which is one of the most backward regions in the country. He pointed out that there was a heavy concentration of the scheduled tribe and scheduled caste population in this region, which has a literacy rate below 50%. Shri Patnaik stated that setting up a Central University in the KBK region would go a long way in encouraging higher education among tribal population. He added that the university could also set up specialized centres for tribal development related studies, as tribal development was one of the biggest challenges facing the country today. Shri. Arjun Singh appreciated the rationale of having a Central University in the KBK region and sought a formal proposal in this regard from the State Government. He assured that this would receive high priority whenever the Central Government considers setting up of new central universities.
Orissa MPs also pursued it and we had sent detail proposal on it to the planning commission and HRD ministry and the PM. I hope the HRD minister did not just steal the idea to his home state. Such opportunistic behavior by the HRD ministry would discourage states with suggesting ideas.
However, a silver line is that the PM has mentioned recently that each state will have a central university. The question is when will that happen.
Moreover, regardless of that happening, central ministers should not steal ideas proposed by states to their own state. They are supposed to look out for the whole country not steal things to their states. To do things for their state they have the MPLAD.
7 comments June 15th, 2007
Specialized government management institutions of Orissa
Many may not know that there are two state government funded and one central government funded management-n-IT institutes in Orissa. (Here, we are not counting the management programs at the universities or the one proposed at NIT Rourkela.) The central govt funded management institute is Madhusudan institute of co-operative management. It offers MBA and DCA and many certificate courses. Following is a quote from its "About Us" pages.
The Madhusudan Institute of Co-operative Management (MICM) is one of the premier Management Institute of the state established in the year 1955-56. The MICM is functioning under the aegis of National Council for Co-operative Training (NCCT), New Delhi, being financed by the Ministry of Agriculture, (Department of Co-operation) Government of India. The basic objective of the Institute is to develop human resources for efficient management by organising various management training programmes.
The two state government funded management-n-IT institutes are:
- Center for IT Education (CITE), Bhubaneswar, a wing of Orissa State Electronics Development Corp. (govt.)
- Institute of Management & Information Technology, (Formerly College of Accountancy & Management), Cuttack – 753 007 Dist: Cuttack. (govt) (location)
15 comments June 11th, 2007
Branch changes allowed after first year at NIT Rourkela
Update: I thought this was new to NIT Rourkela. Based on the reader’s comments it seems it has been there for some time and it is also there at UCE Burla.
NIT Rourkela now allows students to change their branches after first year based on their grades and possibly subject to some rules. The students who were able to change this year are listed here. The top three changed to Computer Science. Branch changes were allowed at IIT Kharagpur based on first year performance and subject to a cap of 10% extra seat in each branch. I assumed a similar cap may be operational at NIT Rourkela. NIT Rourkela has close ties with IIT Kharagpur in that its director, Professor Sunil Sarangi, was a longtime facuty at IIT Kharagpur. Its great that he is bringing in good ideas from IIT Kharagpur and implementing them in NIT Rourkela. One idea, which was somewhat unique to IIT Kharagpur, and which should be brought to NIT Rourkela, if not already done, is the notion of a student budgeted hostel library.
5 comments June 11th, 2007
Institutions with Nontraditional programs – a dated list
Following is a list of institutions with non-traditional programs that I compiled earlier. They are categorized as follows: Arts and Crafts, Design, Teachers training, Diploma in Engineering, ITIs, Film and TV, Homeopathy and Ayurveda, Hotel management, Journalism, Law, Library Science, Performance arts, Physical Education, Sanskrit and Social work.
Continue Reading 6 comments June 8th, 2007
Careerpoint claims that 21 out of 55 succeeded in IIT JEE
Career point is one of the top coaching centers in Kota. (It is not the top though.) Its advertisement in Samaj today says: “Outstanding performance by CPians. Total selection in IIT-2007 – 21 out of 55.” Overall in 2007 Careerpoint claims 7 in top 50 and 1005 total. In comparison, FIIT JEE claims 43 in top 100 and 2467 overall in 2007, Bansal claims 1400 in BCPL Kota, 130 in BCPL Jaipur, etc. in 2007 and Resonance claims 12 in top 100 and 879 overall in 2007. However FIIT JEE, Bansal and Resonance do not yet have centers in Orissa.
Continue Reading 4 comments June 5th, 2007
Orissa government higher education web site and UGC list of colleges
The Orissa government’s higher education website is here. Following are some of the interesting links at that site:
- The list of government colleges in Orissa
- List of private Colleges by district and by block
- A list of colleges with disciplines they offer
- Another list of colleges
The above lists are incomplete as they are missing some colleges. There are colleges in list 3 and 4 that do not appear in 1 and 2. Well known private colleges such as Christ College and Stewart Science College do not appear in list 2.
The UGC also has lists of colleges and universities in various states. Following are some links.
- List of Colleges in Orissa: page 1 ; page 2; page 3
- List of Universities in Orissa
- List of autonomous colleges (page 2 contains the list for Orissa)
June 4th, 2007
PM: Each state will have a central university
A PIB release says the following:
The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh chaired a meeting to review the state of higher education in India and address the challenge of increasing enrolment while improving access to and quality of higher education in India. The Prime Minister directed the University Grants Commission and the Planning Commission to jointly prepare a strategy for this. The Prime Minister also declared that the Government of India will setup at least one Central University in every State and assist State Government to ensure that there is at least one degree college in every district. There are presently 20 Central Universities in the country, while 16 States do not have a Central University. The Prime Minister said that each Central University should become a symbol of excellence, a model of efficiency and an example in terms of academic standards and university governance for other State Universities to emulate. 350 districts where enrolment is below national average will be brought upto national average. The Prime Minister also reiterated his commitment to offer more scholarships to increase the gross enrollment rate at the college level.Â
5 comments June 1st, 2007