Archive for January 4th, 2011

Update on the proposed Vedanta Science College in Lanjigarh

Following is from a report in Pioneer.

Vedanta is going to open a science college at Lanjigarh in Kalahandi to spread higher education among tribals. The Vedanta Science College will commence classes from the academic year 2011-12.

The company has identified five acres of land at Lanjigarh for the purpose. The architectural design of the college has been completed and construction activity will begin soon. The bhoomi puja for construction of the building was performed last month.

“The science college will fill the gap of quality science education in western Odisha. Besides education, it will also improve the human development index and leadership quality among youth,” said Prof Gopabandhu Behera, retired Professor of Chemistry of the Sambalpur University.

Most towns in interior western Odisha mostly have arts and commerce colleges, where job opportunities for students passing out are limited. The proposed college is expected to address the need for quality science education in the district of Kalahandi and will make the youth qualified enough to get ample job opportunities. 

The first batch of students will be admitted on merit basis, with preference to local students. In the first batch, the college will enroll 64 students. “Vedanta Science College will integrate teaching, learning, and research for a holistic development of the students,” said President and Chief Operating Officer of Vedanta Aluminium Ltd, Lanjigarh Dr Mukesh Kumar.

The college will impart graduate level studies in Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Zoology, Botany and Environment Science. The college will be managed by the DAV College Trust and Management Society, which is a premier education society and has already set up more than 100 colleges across the country. With the latest infrastructure, the college will provide facilities for sports, games and cultural facilities.

In Lanjigarh, the DAV College Trust and Management Society has set up an international school jointly with VAL which is giving access to quality English medium education to tribal students from Lanjigarh and around.

January 4th, 2011

Odisha goverment must take timely steps to get one of the new IIITs in 2011-12

Following is an excerpt from a report in Deccan Chronicle about efforts in Andhra Pradesh.

The Union HRD ministry has written to the state government, expressing its willingness to allot one IIIT to the state. It has asked for proposals to be submitted immediately.

In response to this, Mr Damodara Rajanarasimha, minister for higher and technical education, said: “We have convened a meeting with officials of higher and technical education departments to discuss the Centre’s proposal this week. Initially, we will identify the suitable cities and about 50 acres required for the purpose of setting up the institute. Based on this, we will submit a report to the UMHRD after shortlisting the location.”

4 comments January 4th, 2011

Push for 12th plan upgradations to central university has started

Now that the 12th plan discussions have started states have started pushing for various upgradations. Earlier we reported Karnataka’s efforts regarding upgrading UVC E to an IIT. Now there is report on West Bengal’s efforts to make Jadavpur University a central university. Following is from a report in Telegraph. It also mentions President Patil’s efforts to upgrade a university in her home area to a central university.

Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee has thrown his weight behind an effort to convert Jadavpur University into a central university.

In a letter last month, Mukherjee requested human resource development minister Kapil Sibal to consider a proposal to turn JU into a central varsity by an act of Parliament.

“The letter is under the consideration of the ministry. The HRD ministry will seek the views of the finance ministry and the Planning Commission on the proposal for converting it into a central university,” a source told The Telegraph.

… JU has been identified by the University Grants Commission as one of the first five universities in the country with “potential for excellence”. It has also been accorded the highest grading of “five stars” by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).

“The HRD ministry will move forward on the basis of the feedback from the finance ministry and the Planning Commission on the letter from Mukherjee. The finance ministry and the Planning Commission had approved setting up 16 central universities under the 11th Plan. All these universities have already been set up. Now if they give the go-ahead, the process will be initiated for the conversion of Jadavpur University into a central university,” the source said.

A few months ago, President Pratibha Patil had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for converting Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University in Maharashtra into a central university. A source said the conversion may be possible in the 12th Plan (2012-17).

Odisha needs to make similar efforts.

3 comments January 4th, 2011

Union Cabinet approved setting up of 20 new IIITs (December 2010)

Somehow we missed this news earlier. Following is from the PIB release http://www.pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=68209.

The Union Cabinet today approved the setting up of 20 new Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) with a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model with an outlay of ` 2808.71 crore (` 2558.71 crore for non recurring, ` 200 crore for recurring expenditure and ` 50.00 crore for faculty development expenditure). The proposal includes: 

• The capital cost of each IIIT will be ` 128.00 crore to be contributed in the ratio of 50: 35: 15 by the Central Govt, the State Govt, and the industry respectively (57.5 : 35: 7.5 in case of North-Eastern region). In addition, ` 50.00 crore will be provided by the Central Government for faculty development programme for the faculty of new IIITs as well as existing IIlTs and IISERs. During the first four years of setting up each IIIT, the Central Government will provide partial support towards the recurring expenditure upto ` 10 crore to each IIIT depending upon actual requirement of IIIT. 

• The project shall start from the financial year 2011-12 with setting up 5-10 IIITs depending upon the response of the State Governments and private partners. 

• Each IIIT shall meet its operating expenditure on its own within 5 years of commencement out of students fees, research and other internal accruals. 

• The concerned State Government will provide 50-100 acres of land, free of cost. 

• The Governing Board of IIIT will be empowered in the matters relating to student intake, fee structure, faculty/non faculty salaries, creation of faculty and non faculty positions, recruitment norms etc

• In principle approval for introducing the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Act, 2010 for setting up new IIITs and declaring them as Institutes of National Importance. Since this process is time consuming, the IIITs may, initially, be registered as Societies under the Societies Registration Act 1860. 

• To put in place a tripartite MoU document spelling out the role and responsibilities of private partners vis-a-vis that of the Government. • To work out the modalities and detailed plan for the faculty development for new IIITs as well as existing IIITs and IISERs in consultation with the Ministry of Finance. 

The Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IITs) will be world-class Institutes and will be set up as autonomous institutes based on Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. Each Institute is meant to specialize in application of IT skills in one or more domain areas. One of the important criteria for setting up IIIT in a State will be availability of 50-100 acres of contiguous land or a minimum of 50 acres of land, with additional land available at another site in the State, which shall be made available, free of cost, for the establishment of the Institute. Initial capital for establishment of the Institute shall be contributed by the Central, State Governments concerned and industry. 

The new IIITs will produce world-class high quality technical personnel, which will generate manpower for emerging industries, science departments and laboratories. This will, in turn contribute to the development of industries and finally boost the economic growth of the country. IIITs will develop professional expertise and skilled manpower in IT and its applications to certain domain areas. 

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VBA/SH/LV

 

January 4th, 2011

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