Odisha HRD

UCE Burla team’s meeting with the CM and others: a first person report

Following is a first person report from one of the person who was present at the UCE Burla team’s meeting with the CM and others. (After the report, I will have a short analysis.)

It is Chak De hours for us, friends !

First, my thanks to the students who stood up to the task and continued their zero-incident strike for 12 days; they deserve huge ovation.
Second, thanks to CM who found time for us. Let me put in short what happened yesterday in CM’s meeting yesterday.

Govt had lined up Industry Minister Mr Harichandan, Industry Secretary Mr Dalwai, CM’s principal secretary, VC of BPUT and two more gentlemen. We had six students, Principal Dr Sanyal, Dr CR Tripathy and yours faithfully me.

Students first narrated what made them to go for strike. CM asked Industry Secy to respond. Secy said – (a) Society Registration file is with Finance Dept, Finance Minister will sign it tomorrow (16 Oct), then Industry Secy & minister. It is a matter of two or three days’s procedural time. But no hurdles, clearly. (b) BPUT Act shall be amended to disengage UCE from BPUT. It is none of our botheration. UCE will   straightway go ahead to register as society.  Industry Dept shall initiate a resolution in next Assembly. CM interjected to say it comes next month, in November. (c) CM said Govt will pursue the matter with UGC to ensure that we become Deemed University within 3 to 4 months. (but I personally believe it is an inadvertant over-statement by CM as state govt will not have any say in UGC except recommending. college authorities and we alumni have to pursue with UGC ourselves).

After students finished, I made few appeals on behalf of alumni. (a) Being the one and only college from Orissa which has potential to be put
into the league of quality colleges like Bengal Engg College, Jadavpur Univ, Osmania Univ, BHU, BIT or Anna University, state govt needs to go an extra mile beyond just conferring Deemed Univ status. CM nodded. (b) Only infrastructure added after it was built 50 years back by Hirakud Dam Project are a new library and an auditorium. Not only the 50-years-old college needs massive renovation, it also badly needs many more modern infrastructures. CM may plz depute high-level officials along with the Chief Architect of Orissa to campus who will assess the infrastructure, submit a master plan to CM based on which funds could be released over three/four years. CM nodded, asked his Secy to note it. (c) If UCE has to expand, which it will, it neds more land. Before encroached unauthorised by people, Govt may direct the local administration to transfer 300 acres available adjacent to UCE. CM said "he will look into this"  (d) Alumni are rock-solid behind UCE. Alumni have built a Gate and are building an e_Learning Centre. I showed him the photos from the farther corner of the distance. CM asked me to come to him with the photos and had a long close look at both the structures. Jubilee Gate resembles  India Gate, he commented. Said, he is happy that alumni are committed to the alma mater. Meeting ended. All for nearly 30 minutes. Students declared, they had called off the strike.

Later, Secy said CM kept a delegate of investors waiting as he wanted this meeting with UCE first. Some or other in Orissa go on strike everyday, but are rarely invited by CM for a meeting. Govt wants UCE to grow, he said. It seemed so.

How much of the committments shall be kept is to be seen. But, I believe Govt can not go back what they said so emphatically. one thing is sure, we have succeeded to move the wheel. It should move on from now. But, we cannot and will not rest before UCE is indeed conferred "Deemed University" and then an "IIT or IIEST".

One of UCE’s … well-wisher …, Prof Chitta Baral of Arizona University had advised us to demand for "State University" like BESU or Ravenshaw. But, we were cautioned by Industry Secy not to talk of State Univ or IIT in the meeting and we did not. And, rightly so. Thanks to Dr Baral for his passion for UCE.

All the local news papers today have carried the News on front page. It is Chak De UCE, finally.

A proud UCEian.

My Comments:

This is a  good start. Congratulations! I am hopeful that with the CM’s efforts UCE will get the "deemed university" tag quickly. But as mentioned above, it is not enough to be a deemed university. Being a deemed university does not guarantee adequate funding. So everyone must be ready to go to the next step; assuring good funding for UCE Burla. Unlike what is reported in Sambada, NIT Rourkela’s funding did not increase because it became a deemed university. It increased because central government took it over. There are many ways to ensure UCE Burla gets adequate funding. One way is to get the "funded by UGC" tag and become eligible to get UGC funds. Another way is to  get taken over by the central government and/or become an NIT, IIEST or IIT. Another way is to push the state government and Orissa industries to fund UCE Burla at a higher level. Yet another way is to get commitment from industries such as MCL regarding funding some UCE departments.

4 comments October 17th, 2007

Chief Minister agrees to the three demands of UCE Burla students

Following is extracted from a Pioneer report. The three demands, as reported, were:

1. Issuance of the clearance for the Society Registration Act. (The clearance of Society Registration Act is needed to accorded deemed university status to the Burla Engineering College.)
2. Deputation of a team of officials with the chief architect  to plan the contemporary infrastructure which the UCE needs and  allocation of funds for their construction.
3. Allotment of 300 acres of adjacent free land  to UCE by the district administration which is needed for its expansion and upgradation, before it was encroached.

Congratulations to the UCE Burla students!  (Tathya.in has some details on the cause of the delay.)

1 comment October 16th, 2007

A Samaja Op-ed on IIT in Orissa and Upgradation of UCE Burla

This article is mostly well argued and has a lot of information regarding recent announcements. My only issue is that it is a bit short-sighted at the end: If Andhra Pradesh can upgrade two of its existing colleges to IIESTs and still get a greenfield IIT, why should Orissa just ask for one upgradation; Orissa should ask for upgradation of UCE Burla to an IIEST and the establishment of a greenfield IIT. Also, just asking for UCE Burla to an upgradation to an IIT is a bit dangerous as the central govt. may say that they are not upgrading any institution to an IIT. If that happens we become double losers. So, Orissa govt should ask that UCE Burla be upgraded to an IIEST and Orissa should get one of the proposed 5 new IITs. Furthermore, as we have argued earlier Orissa govt, should immediately make UCE Burla a state university.

3 comments October 11th, 2007

Tathya.in: Make UCE Burla a state university

Tathya.in has a coherent argument on making UCE Burla a state university. Following is the article.

While students of the University College of Engineering (UCE) Burla are on war path to turn the institution as a Deemed University, educationists have suggested the state government to declare it as a State University.

“It is easier for the Government of Orissa to declare UCE Burla as an Engineering and Science University”, suggested an educationist who belongs to Western Orissa.

An alumnus of UCE, Burla has also echoed the view on this line.

“Instead of pleading with the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), it is easier for the state government to pass a Bill in this regard in the Orissa Legislative Assembly (OLA)”, said he.

Initially it will cost Rs.1.5 crore per annum at the most, said a Financial Advisor of the state government.

Later the state government by appointing a hyper active Vice Chancellor like Devdas Chhottaray will be able to rope in huge funds from University Grants Commission (UGC).

Mr.Chhottaray, VC of the newly formed Ravenshaw Unitary University (RUU) has been successful to convert the RUU as an UGC aided University in a period of one year.

When the 50 year old institution will be celebrating its Golden Jubilee, it is the right time for the state government to declare it as another State University, said another alumnus.

The UCE, Burla alumni have a major role to play, said a mandarin in the state secretariat.

Most of the alumni are in the top level of the state administration and their influence in this regard will play a major role to transform the institution as a State University of Science and engineering, said he.

While the students are demanding for a Deemed University status they are ignorant about the fact that most of the DUs are not funded by the UGC.

So it is better that at the first place UCE, Burla to be declared as a State University and later a pro-active VC will rope in funds from the UGC.

It may be pointed out that various states have followed this path earlier and have been successful like West Bengal and Kerala.

The Bengal Engineering and Science University (BESU) and the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) are state universities, and both were selected to become Indian Institute of Education, Science and Technology (IIEST).

“Better late than never, Orissa must take a cue from West Bengal and Kerala”, said Sandip Das Verma, a leading Non Resident Odiya (NRO).

October 9th, 2007

Why UCE Burla’s demand for becoming a deemed university does not make much sense?

1. It is much easier to become a state university as the Orissa assembly can make that declaration.  Deemed university status is given by the center and is much more of hassle to get it. Lobbying is needed in Delhi for that.

2. Most deemed universities are not funded by UGC, so there is not much benefit of becoming a deemed university. On the other hand a state university, after getting the tag of "funded by UGC" will get funding by UGC.

3. Ravenshaw became a state university last October and in less than a year it has now got the "funded by UGC" tag.     UCE Burla should follow the same path.

4. CUSAT (Cochin University of Science and Tech)  http://www.cusat.ac.in/aboutus.php and BESU (Bengal Engg. & Sc. Universoty)  http://www.becs.ac.in/
are state universities, and both were selected to become IIESTs.

5. Following is from the home page from BESU. http://www.becs.ac.in/

The Bengal Engineering and Science University, Shibpur, established as Civil Engineering College, Calcutta, way back in 1856 with the idea of introducing engineering education in the country, has a long and checkered past. The University was known as Calcutta Civil Engineering College on and from 24th November, 1856, when there were only 10 students and a few instructive staff. From 12th February, 1920 the name was changed to B.E. College Shibpur. The word Shibpur was deleted from 24th March, 1921. Till 1992, it was a constituent college of the Calcutta University. In recognition of its service to the nation for all these years, the college was elevated to the status of a Deemed University in 1992 and the Honourable President of India, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma, formally inaugurated Bengal Engineering College (A Deemed University) on March 13, 1993. On 1st October, 2004, the deemed university was elevated to the status of a University with its present name.

Thus BESU first became a deemed university and then became a state university.

So if BESU thinks its better to be a state university than a deemed university, why is UCE Burla trying for the inferior (but harder to get) deemed university tag while becoming a state university is easier and better.

6. Thus, UCE Burla should try to become a state university rather than a deemed university.

7. But, after becoming a state university, UCE Burla will need a good administrator like the VC Devdas Chhotray of Ravenshaw University, who can get it the "funded by UGC" tag quickly.

2 comments October 6th, 2007

UCE Burla students agitate for deemed university status: I think they are being misled into a wrong and harder path

Following are excerpts from Statesman‘s  reports on this.

Hundreds of students of the University College of Engineering (UCE) at Burla are up in the arms against the authorities of the Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT) and the junior staff of the industries department of the Orissa government. 

“When our main demand is to get IIT status for this college, the deemed university status should be granted. Even the chief minister Mr Naveen Patnaik and the secretary of industries in particular is highly interested for according this status to the UCE. But there is no effort, either on the part of BPUT or the junior level officers of the industries department,” said one of the students.

“In order to be eligible for the University Grants Commission (UGC)  status, BPUT needs to have five government engineering colleges under it. But at present it has got only four colleges.

The students further said that to get a deemed university status, any engineering college has to fulfil eight criteria and the UCE satisfies seven.
During a strike in 2005, BPUT’s vice chancellor Mr Omkar Nath Mohanty promised action in three days. But more than one-and-half-year has already passed since then,” one of the students said.

But the comment of the VC of BPUT is different altogether.

“BPUT has already given clearance for deemed university status to UCE 10 months ago. At the same time it has given academic autonomy to UCE. Hence, the question of any apathetic attitude to UCE doesn’t arise,” said Mr Omkar Nath Mohanty. BPUT needs five post graduate departments, and not government colleges under it to get eligible for the UGC aid.

“It has already got 12 such departments, excluding UCE,” Mr Mohanty said.

I have two remarks on this story.

1. I personally believe that the UCE students would be much better of trying with state government to make UCE Burla a state university. Getting a deemed university tag is much more difficult, and I am not sure that it has any advantages over becoming a state university. What is important is to be a university and get the "funded by UGC tag." The Bengal Engineering and Science University (formerly Bengal Engineering College, Howrah) is a state University and has the funded by UGC tag and it go selected to become one of the IIESTs. UCE Burla students must also note that Ravenshaw was made a state university only last year (2006 October) and it already got the  "funded by UGC" tag. In regards to getting the "deemed university" tag, it is a central government decision and is much harder to get than convincing the Orissa state legislators to declare UCE Burla a state university.  We wrote about this earlier in https://www.orissalinks.com/?p=60 and https://www.orissalinks.com/?p=23 and even talked about this to many UCE Burla alumni. I am not sure why they don’t see the light. If BESU (Bengal Engineering and Science University) and CUSAT (Cochin University of Science and Technology)  are state universities and have the “Funded by UGC” status (See the UGC West Bengal and Kerala pages here and here respectively) and both have become IIESTs, why is UCE Burla trying the harder and not necessarily better path?
2. Why BPUT still does not have a "funded by UGC tag" yet?  What is BPUT’s VC doing? This is a disgrace.

8 comments October 6th, 2007