See http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080302/jsp/frontpage/story_8971000.jsp.
It mentions Kerala and Himachal Pradesh. In the context of https://www.orissalinks.com/?p=951, https://www.orissalinks.com/?p=947, and https://www.orissalinks.com/?p=946. One may note that in the last few years an IISER and an IIST (Indian Institute of Space Sc. & Technology) are being established in Kerala and CUSAT is in line to become an IIEST (Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology).
March 2nd, 2008
The Koustuv group which currently has a diploma college (Koustuv School of Engineering) and two operating engineering colleges (CoEB and KISD) has several more engineering colleges in the pipeline. They are Koustuv Institute of Technology (KIT), Khurda in Orissa and KITs in Ranchi and Kolkata. It also operates a plus two science college, Koustuv Institute of Science. It has plans for a medical college to be called Koustuv Research Institute of Medical Science (KRIMS). In regards to the medical college, there is a report in Telegraph regarding Koustuv’s success in its bid for a 400+ acres of land previously occupied by OTM. Following are some excerpts:
Koustuv Group, which recently got clearance from State Level Single Window Clearance Authority for a tin smelting plant at Khurda, has apparently emerged as front-runner in the auction of Orissa Textile Mills (OTM).
The state-owned composite cotton mill winded up in 2002.
Prabhat Ranjan Mallik, the chairman of Bhubaneswar-based Koustuv Group, was the foremost bidder with a fresh offer of Rs 43 crore for the OTM property and assets, including 422 acres of prime industrial land at Choudwar, in the final round of bidding in Orissa High Court yesterday.
The bidding vehicle set up afresh by Koustuv Group before the company affairs bench of Justice I.M. Quddusi plans to use the OTM factory complex for setting up a tin modulation unit.
“Moreover, a medical research centre comprising a state-of-the-art hospital and a medical college have been planned for the future,” said Koustuv Group counsel P. Mukherjee, while making a verbal bidding before the court. Mallik was also present in the company affairs court.
March 2nd, 2008
St. Xavier’s high school group has established and is currently establishing many schools across Orissa and neighboring states. As per http://www.stxavierschools.org/aboutgroup.htm they have schools in Berhampur, Bhanjanagar, Cuttack, Balangir, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Balasore, Rayagada, Jajpur Rd and Keonjhar. They are establishing schools in Cuttack-Bhubaneswar and Sunabeda. The Cuttack school is affiliated to CBSE board. The affiliation of the other schools is not clear.
March 1st, 2008
Following is an excerpt from an article in Forbes Asia. (Hindustan Times reports on this.)
Pledged $1 billion in 2006 from his Anil Agarwal Foundation to set up Vedanta University. Envisions the school as an elite institution modeled on Stanford University and targeting the young Indians who now leave the country in droves to study overseas. Hopes it will boost the lagging economy of Orissa State, in eastern India, where it will be built on a 6,000-acre campus that will ultimately accommodate 100,000 students. Some 1,000 acres have been acquired so far—despite the opposition of locals—and the first batch of students is expected next year.
March 1st, 2008
Following is an excerpt from a report in Telegraph.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik, on the other hand, described the budget as “disappointing” for a backward state like Orissa.
… Alleging that the sanction of an IIT was made on political considerations, Orissa’s “genuine” demand was ignored.
Following is from a report in the Statesman.
Orissa has once again been deprived of an IIT as political considerations seem to have governed such decisions remarked ruling BJD-BJP circles here today while reacting to the budget.
… State finance minister Mr Prafulla Chandra Ghadei was also critical of the budget and said "it may cause further inflation" adding "the loan waiver is a pre-poll populist measure which does not make economic sense at all". Mr Ghadei said "the state was not only denied an IIT but was also deprived of additional funds and coverage of the Backward Region Grant Fund scheme".
Following is from a report in Pioneer.
Launching a scathing attack on the Centre for neglecting the cause of Orissa, Patnaik said IIT seems to have done with political consideration. "There has been no scheme for the welfare of the tribal people," he said. Orissa had earlier demanded an IIT for the State and the Chief Minister wrote a number of letters to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Human Resources Development Minister Arjun Singh. But without conceding to the demands of the Orissa Government, the Centre announced setting up of IITs in Bihar, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh.
…. Industry Minister BB Harichandan said this Budget was made keeping elections in mind. The Union Government has adopted a stepmotherly attitude towards the State while announcing setting up a number of IITs.
Following is from one New Indian Express report.
NCP convenor Bijay Mohapatra described the Budget as pro-farmer. The relief given to the farmers is a bold step, he said. The extension of NREGS to all districts and increased allocation under the BRGF will benefit the underdeveloped district. Except for not announcing an IIT for Orissa, the Finance Minister has catered to all sections.
He, however, said the Centre should have considered the demand for the establishment of an IIT in Orissa.
Following is from another New Indian Express report.
Even as Finance Minister P. Chidambaram dished out a populist Budget in an election year, Orissa missed out on several key announcements as usual.
What has hurt it most is that the Centre has once again ignored its demand for establishment of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) even as Chidambaram announced three IITs to be set up in Bihar, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh
See also the story in Tathya.in.
March 1st, 2008