Odisha HRD

Arjun Singh on Devious mode: Tathya.in

Following is  from http://tathya.in/.

It has been proved time and again that Arjun Singh has no love for Orissa.

The Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister has always been unkind to the state, which is lagging behind on education front among other states.

And he is nicely talking to Naveen Patnaik and made him feel that the Centre is all out for Orissa to dole out largesse.

Chief Minister Mr.Patnaik and HRD Minister Mr.Singh had a meeting on 24 January at New Delhi.

Mark the words of Mr.Singh:

Orissa had a very good case for setting up a Central University in the KBK region.

There are strong possibilities of setting up of an IIT or IIM in Orissa in view of industrial growth.

Chief Minister returned happy and took no time to issue the Press Release.

But insiders in the MHRD and educationists are reading between the lines.

There are two types of Central Universities (CU).

One is regular CU of which 16 are to be set up in 11th plan with an investment of Rs.300 crore each.

Another World Class Central University (WCCU) of which 14 are to be established during next 5 years with an investment of Rs.1000 crore each.

Mr.Singh is hinting towards the regular CU in KBK with an investment of Rs.300 crore.

But Orissa deserves a WCCU in coastal Orissa and CU in KBK or vice versa as the level of investment in higher education in Orissa is much below than the other major states like Maharastra and Madhya Pradesh.

Similarly Mr.Singh said Orissa deserves an IIT or IIM.

But the state is demanding IIT, IIM and IIIT for last so many years and the Minister HRD is playing hide and sick game over the establishment of these institutions.

In order to establish an IIT, MHRD spends Rs.1000 crore and for an IIM it provides Rs.150-200 crore.

To be very frank, Mr.Singh is fooling the state so far setting up the higher institutions of learning in the state, alleged a senior mandarin.

And the pathetic part of the story is we believe him, which will end up in receiving pea nuts in the name of largesse of Centre, cautioned … Professor Chitta Baral of Arizona State University.

So the State Government must come out with Vision Document for the Centres of Higher Learning including a WCCU, Cu-KBK, IIT, IIM and IIIT in the state, said Dhirendra Kar, a leading NRO.

These demands to be harped time and again with the UPA Government till it is achieved, said he.

January 25th, 2008

Computer Education in 1,500 more High Schools

Following is an excerpt from a New Indian Express report.

BHUBANESWAR: Computer education will be imparted in 1,500 more high schools and 300 upper primary schools from the current academic session.

While 900 of the total 14,233 upper primary schools are already provided with computers under Sarva Sikshya Abhijan (SSA), 300 more schools will be extended the facility under buy, own and transfer (BOT) mode, School and Mass Education Secretary S.C. Patnaik said.

The department has also made a budgetary provision of Rs 20 crore for supply of computers to 1,500 high schools.

A centrally sponsored scheme, the Centre has given a financial assistance of Rs 15 crore while the balance is the State’s share.

January 25th, 2008

Engineering Lectures from IITs and IISc in YouTube.

The link is http://www.youtube.com/profile_play_list?user=nptelhrd.

(Thanks to Abi for the pointer.)

January 25th, 2008