Regular JEE counseling started yesterday with Women’s categories. In addition to the colleges that were listed for the AIEEE round of Orissa JEE counseling, the list of colleges also includes IIIT, Silicon Sambalpur, Parala Maharaj and Govt. College Bhawanipatna. This does not yet appear in the Orissa JEE web site, but I was told by a friend that this is the case. So the complete list of new colleges is:
- Aryan Institute of Engineering and Technology, Mouza: Barakuda, Post Panchagoan, Bhubaneswar-752 050
- Bhubaneswar Institute of Technology, Plot No 4, Village Harapur, Khurda, Pin- 752 054
- Einstien Academy of Tech. & Management (EATAM) Bania Tangi Bhubaneswar
- Eklavya College of Tech., and Sci., At Kusumati PO Jatni Bhubaneswar Khurda
- Gandhi Academy of Tech. & Engineering At/PO Golonthara Konisi, Berhampur, Dist Ganjam Orissa
- Gandhi Institute for Education & Technology, At Banlatangi, P.O. Bajpur, Dist : Khurda-752060
- Government Engineering College, Kalahandi
- Gurukula College of Engineering for Women (GCEM) At- Jamuhari Chhatabar, Bhubaneshwar Dist- Khurda Odisha
- Hi-Tech College of Engineering, Rasulghar, Pandara Bhubaneswar
- Indotech College of Engineering, Plot No. 144, AT/PO Mallipada, Via Pallahat(Khurda-2) Dist-khurda,Orissa-752056
- International Institute of Information Technology, Plot No – 570(P), Gothapatna, Khandagiri, Bhubaneswar – 751030
- KMBB College of Engineering and Technology AT-Daleiput, PO-Talahat Dist. Khurda,Orissa
- Parala Maharaj Engineering College, Berhampur
- Rahul Institute of Engineering & Technology, Govindapur JN Tata Dapalli, Village Konisi, Berhampur, Ganjam (DT) Orissa-761 008.
- Shibani Institute of Technical Education , At-PO-Chhatabar,Via, Hanla, Bhubaneswar – 752054, Khurda, Orissa
- Silicon Institute of Technology, Sason, Sambalpur -763 200, Orissa.
- Sophitorium Engineering College, Baniatangi, Khurda
- Spintronic Tech. & Advance Resarch At.Po Taraboi P.S. Jatani Dist Khurda, Orissa
- Srinix College of Engineering College At-Ranipatna, Dist Balasore-750001 .
- Suddhananda Engg. & Research Centre, Phulnakhara Cuttack At Anchhipur P.O. Bhatapatna Orissa
- Synergy Institute of Technology, At : Bhimpur,P.O. Jagannathpur, P.S. Balianta, Dist:Khurda, Orissa
- Vedang Institute of Technology, Durga Prasad, P.O. Ramachandi, Dist. Khurda, Orissa
- Vikash College of Engineering for Women (VCEW) plot No. 2766, P.S. Dist- Baragarh, Odisha
- Vivekananda Inst. Of Tech., at Chhatabar Dandi, Chaatabar, Orissa
- Xavier Institute of Tech., Princess Avencue Ghangapatna Bhubaneswar Dist Khurda Orissa
Among the above Silicon Sambalpur, IIIT, and Bhubaneswar Institute of Technology (BIT) are colleges which I would recommend the most. As I wrote earlier, I would even say that students with good enough ranks to get CET or UCE may also consider BIT and IIIT seriously. (Disclaimer: As far as I can recall, I am in the advisory board of BIT, Centurion, JITM and was in the advisory board of Silicon some years back.)
July 25th, 2009
Some news reports mention about opposition to certain conditions in the Vedanta University act. In this regard a recent article by Ila Patnaik in Indian Express is illuminating. Following are some excerpts.
The existing framework for running universities in India has been tried for many decades, and has been shown to have failed. In striking contrast, China has been able to get far ahead of India in building universities. If progress has to be made in India, every assumption of the HRD ministry now needs to be questioned. In addition to removing entry barriers against new private or foreign universities, the four new ideas that need to be brought in are: autonomy of universities (including on budget); reduced core funding combined with more competitive research grants; a flexible salary structure; end of government interference in recruitment of staff and students.
The best universities in India, those that we are particularly proud of, are not well rated by international standards. The Times of London’s Higher Education Supplement ranks universities around the world. In 2008, their data showed IIT Delhi at rank 154 and IIT Bombay at rank 174 globally. No other university in India made this top 200 list. By way of comparison, China has universities at ranks 50, 56, 113, 141, 143 and 144. In other words, China has six universities which are superior to IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay.
Last week, the NBER Digest carried an article by Linda Gorman summarising a research paper by Philippe Aghion, Mathias Dewatripont, Caroline M. Hoxby, Andreu Mas-Colell and Andre Sapir which investigates the sources of success in building universities. The paper is immensely useful in thinking about how to build universities in India; it should be on the top of Kapil Sibal’s reading list.
The paper finds that the first element that pulls down the rank of a university is the process of budgetary approval from the government. The average European university that sets its own budget has a rank of 200 while the average European university that needs approval from the government has a rank of 316. In other words, giving a university autonomy to set its own budget on average yields an improvement of 116 ranks. The message for India: in order to obtain high-quality universities, we need to give universities autonomy.
The second important feature is the role of government in funding universities. They find that each percentage point of the university’s budget that comes from core government funds reduces the rank of the university by 3.2 points. The message for India: in order to obtain high-quality universities, we need to give them less money through core funding from the government.
The third issue is inequality in wages. European universities which pay the same wages to all faculty of the same seniority and rank have an average rank of 322. Universities which vary wages for each faculty member and pay different salaries to two people of the same seniority and rank, have an average rank of 213. In other words, flexible HR policies yield an improvement of 109 ranks. The message for India: freeing up HR policies is essential to building high-quality universities.
The fourth issue is the recruitment process for students. Universities which are free to recruit undergraduate students as they like have a rank 156 points higher than those where the government determines the composition of students. The message for India: universities should have full freedom to recruit students as they like, without interference from the government.
The fifth issue is competition. Each percentage point of a university’s budget that comes from a competitive research grants process yields an improvement in its ranking by 6.5. …
Variation across state governments in the United States shows that the best universities come up in states which allow more autonomy, such as independent purchasing systems, no state approval of the university budget, and complete control of personnel hiring and pay.
There is only one university in India which has autonomy on budget setting, recruits its own students, has flexible HR policies, etc., and this is the Indian School of Business. It is perhaps logical that, in 2008, ISB was ranked the 20th best MBA programme by The Financial Times, and in 2009 this rank was improved to 15. None of the IIMs feature anywhere. This is a striking contrast between enormous state expenditures on the IIMs failing to yield measurable results when compared with an alternative which has landed India in the top rankings of the world.
July 21st, 2009
Following is an excerpt from a report in Expressbuzz.com.
The International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Bhubaneswar, is all set to launch B Tech courses in several disciplines from the ensuing academic session.
The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has granted its approval to the premier institute for intake of 240 students in the disciplines of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Computer Science Engineering and IT. Each discipline would have a seat strength of 60.
The students for the B Tech programme would be taken from the State JEE this year. Plans are to restrict intake from State JEE to between 50 and 60 percent and the rest from AIEE and IIT JEE in the subsequent years. Along with the B Tech courses, the institute will also include Ph.D programmes in its curriculum from this year.
… A proposal would be put up with the UGC for accordance of University status to it once it gets going in full strength. The institute, which is presently conducting M Tech courses in Computer Science and IT with 25 students each from the OCAC building, is expected to shift to its own campus at Gothapatna on the outskirts of the Capital in August this year. The campus would come up as a state-of-the-art facility to provide top standard atmosphere and education to the students. Spanning over 23 acres, the IIIT would then have around 2000 students, Prof Nayak said.
… work has started on establishing a second IIIT at Berhampur. The Government has allotted 100 acres for the proposed institute at Rangeilunda.
July 11th, 2009
Update: I talked to one of persons associated with AOLHET. He said that AOLHET is the US arm of Sri Sri University and its main goal is to raise $250 million (about Rs 1200 crores) for the Sri Sri University. He said many of the trustee members listed below have significant experience in fund raising for a university. With a budget like that, the freedom from government by virtue of being a private university, the world wide admiration and visibility of Sri Sri Ravishankar, and the world-wide network of Art of Living, this university could challenge the proposed National University in Bhubaneswar.
I stumbled across a new site for this at http://aolhet.com. AOLHET is Art of Living Health and Education Trust. It has more up-to-date information. From the pages there we have the following information.
Trustees:
Dr. Alfred Balitzer, former United States Special Ambassador to Brunei and Professor of American government, political philosophy and U.S.-Asia relations at Claremont McKenna College, is on the Board of Directors of the AOLHET
Mr. Raj Shah, Chairman and CEO of Capital Surini Group International, Inc. and Capital Technology Information Services, Inc., is on the Board of Directors of the AOLHET
Dr. Salim Aziz, a Cardiothoracic and Thoracic Surgeon and CEO and Medical Director of Capitol Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Associates and Millennium Scan International, is on the Board of Directors of the AOLHET
Mr. Jeffrey Houk, Board Member of the Art of Living Foundations, is on the Board of Directors of the AOLHET
Dr. Dean Harmison, a Specialist in General Dentistry, is on the Board of Directors of the AOLHET
Dr. Raman Poola, a physician specializing in Gastroenterology and Internal Medicine, is on the Board of Directors of the AOLHET
Mr. Arif Diwan, President and Founder of WILLIGENT Corporation and Managing Director and General Partner at Chrimatos Investments, is on the Board of Directors of the AOLHET
Faculty/Staff
Dr. TN Seshan, former Chief Election Commissioner of India (1990 – 1996) is the President Designate of Sri Sri University
Dr. S Ramaratnam is Vice Chancellor Designate of Sri Sri University
Dr. NV Vasani, Vice Chancellor of Gujarat Nirma University is on the Advisory Board of Sri Sri University
Mr. S.B. Ganguly, Chairman of Exide Industries, is on the Advisory Board of Sri Sri University
Colleges, Academic Departments and Programs
• College of Management
Bachelor’s degree (2 years); students will focus in one or more of the following areas of study:
Marketing
Business Management
Human Resources
Banking and Finance
• College of Arts and Humanities
Bachelor’s degree (2 years); students will focus in one or more of the following areas of study:
Cultural Studies and Anthropology
Performing Arts
• College of Government
Bachelor’s degree (2 years) and Master’s degree (2 years)
• College of Mass Communication
Master’s degree (2 years)
• College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Master’s degree (2 years)
• College of Biological and Environmental Sciences
Master’s degree (2 years); Students will focus in one or more of the following areas of study:
Sustainable Development
Pharmacology
Agriculture
Biotechnology
• College of Material and Transportation Sciences
Master’s degree (2 years); students will focus in one or more of the following areas of study:
Textile Sciences
Transportation Sciences
• College of Engineering
Master’s/Doctoral degree (4 years); Students will focus in one or more of the following areas of study:
Electronics and Telecommunications
Computer Sciences
Information Technology
Mechanical Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Instrumentation
Electronics and Electrical Engineering
Civil Engineering
• College of Ayurveda
Master’s/Doctoral degree (4 years)
• College of Vedic Sciences
Master’s/Doctoral degree (4 years)
• College of Mathematics and Physical Sciences
Master’s/Doctoral degree (4 years); Students will focus in one or more of the following areas of study:
Physical Sciences
Chemistry
Mathematics
• College of Medicine
Medical Doctoral degree (4 years)
• College of Law
Bachelor’s in Civil Law degree (5 years).
Sri Sri University will provide a unique educational experience that blends academic and personal development, which will nurture, educate, and empower students to become leaders in public service. A world-class academic institution, the University will feature multidisciplinary curricula to promote the pursuit of truth through educational and spiritual empowerment. Unparalleled didactics coupled with self-reflection will prepare students of all cultures and creeds for personal and professional excellence globally. A key objective of Sri Sri University is to foster scholarship and collegiality among its students, to inspire them to advance knowledge, to promote understanding, and to serve humanity.
The Art of Living Foundation and the Government of Orissa signed a Memorandum of Understanding on December 18, 2006 to establish a full-fledged multidisciplinary university near the state capital, Bhubaneswar within two to three years. The goal of the university would be to provide holistic education that is firmly embedded in Indian culture and ethos to the global leaders of tomorrow. Admission into the university will be based on merit alone, which will be assessed based on an entrance examination. Admission into the proposed varsity will be open to Indian as well as foreign nationals.
The proposed campus is being constructed in approximately 186 acres of land along the banks of the Mahanadi River in Naraj, about 20 miles from Bhubaneswar. The campus will include academic buildings, recreational facilities, meditation halls, and a sports complex. It will be designed to cater to the needs of 1,500 faculty members, an equal number of non-academic staff members, and 15,000 students. In 2007, the international consulting firm Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu was appointed to chart the strategic plans for Sri Sri University. Under the execution plan developed by Deloitte, Sri Sri University will establish the following colleges between 2009 and 2014:
Year 1: Management, Law, Government
Year 2: Mass Communication, Cultural Studies
Year 3: Engineering, Medicine
Year 4: Ayurveda, Vedic Sciences, Biotechnology
Year 5: Research Sciences
A Sri Sri University education will seek to inspire students to explore, create, serve and lead.
The goal of the Sri Sri University Teaching Hospital is to provide primary, preventive and educational healthcare. The Teaching Hospital will offer state-of-the-art, affordable medical care to communities in underserved areas by using an integrated approach that combines traditional health care and modern technology.
In the period between 2009 and 2014 the Art of Living Health and Education Trust aims to:
• Design and construct the Sri Sri University Teaching Hospital with specialized facilities on campus;
• Build 25 primary care satellite clinics in locations determined by a feasibility study, to be conducted in 2008-2009;
• Offer telemedicine services in primary care clinics with the capability to transfer patients with specialized medical needs to appropriately staffed and equipped clinics;
• Emphasize community-driven development through the International Association for Human Values’ 5H program [Health,Hygiene, Homes, Harmony in Diversity, Human Values]; and
• Develop a replication strategy using the design, construction, and operations of the Sri Sri University Teaching Hospital
as a prototype, in collaboration with other NGOs and charitable organizations, to extend the His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s vision of affordable primary, preventive and educational healthcare to other parts of the world.
Sri Sri University: Key Milestones:
• December 2006 – Memorandum of Understanding signed with State Government of Orissa to establish Sri Sri University
• January 2007 – University President Designate Mr. T.N. Seshan (Former Chief Election Commissioner) contracts Deloitte to chart strategic plans for University
• June 2007 – Governing board appointed and faculty recruitment launched
• November 2007 – Hong Kong architectural firm begins blueprint for environmentally friendly campus
• February 2008 – Orissa State Cabinet approves status as an Autonomous Educational Institution
Campus
”Home to more than 15,000 students and 1,500 academic faculty from around the world, Sri Sri University campus will be located less than 15 miles from Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa.
June 24th, 2009
Update: I am now told that the location is two km after CISF Mundali, towards Banki on the Cuttack-Banki road. The postal location is Mouza Banara, Tahasil Dumpada, District Cuttack. From Chandni Chowk, Cuttack it is 13 km. And from Oberoi Hotel, BBSR, it is 29 km.
It now has its own web page. The web page has some nice drawings and overview of the university. We copy them here.
Introduction
A unique University that will train highly qualified Spiritual and Yog teachers for spreading the true and ancient science of "Yog" around the world will be built in the state of Orissa. The project will be a part of a spiritual community that will include a Gurukul, a Yog & Naturopathy Health Care Center, a Yogashram, a Charitable Hospital, and Organic cultivation farms.
The proposed university will be developed at Banki, near Cuttack, Orissa, in multiple stages. In the first stage, 110 acres of land has been finalised, and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed by the Trust and the Government of Orissa.
Objectives of the Proposed University
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To Prepare Qualified teachers, who can then go to schools, colleges and industrial houses to teach the sciences of Spirituality, Yog and Mind management. At present, everyone realizes the imbalance in the education system, due to lack of spiritual education.
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Introduction of moral education in all educational institutions. The creation of a qualified class of spiritual teachers will enable the introduction of spiritual education in society.
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To give the spiritually-minded youth a chance to make a career in spirituality, by enabling them to earn a degree, and utilize it for teaching jobs.
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To enable character building through higher education.
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To reinforce ethics and morals so that the students may pass these on to the society at large.
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For the upliftment of the underprivileged segments of society, free education and financial support will be given to 25 percent students from such segments of society.
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The Proposed University will set a role model for the Universities of the country, in building the moral character of the people.
Courses Offered at the Proposed University
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Bachelors and Masters in Yogic Sciences.
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Bachelors and Masters in Vedic Sciences.
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Teachers, Professors and Principals re-orientation programmes, with special emphasis on Morals and Ethics.
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Bachelors and Masters in Naturopathy.
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Bachelors and Masters in Bhakti Yog, in accordance with the philosophy of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj.
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Research work – Doctorate – in Naturopathy, Vedic Sciences, Bhakti and Yogic Sciences.
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One year diploma courses in all the above.
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One month introductory courses in all the above.
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One month Yog instructors course.
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Karm-kand training courses for priests for temples in India and abroad.
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Orientation programmes for Doctors in Yog Therapy.
Secular Courses- The students will also get an opportunity to do non-spiritual courses that offer the maximum job opportunities in the modern world, such as Information Technology and Business Management. This will enable them to get excellent careers in secular fields, if they so desire.
Related Projects:
Yoga Therapy and Naturopathy Healthcare Centre. It will attract outdoor patients from nearby towns and also neighboring villages. Also, indoor patients desirous of benefiting from yog therapy.
Gurukul. Will train children from childhood in the life of purity, charity, austerity, and spiritual knowledge.
Yogashram. Yoga shibirs will be conducted for the general public, for members, and for industrial houses. Such shibirs will be of 3 days duration, one week duration, two weeks duration and four weeks duration.
Old-age home. Devotionally minded people, who are leading a retired life, will be invited to come and stay in a spiritual environment. They will also be given an opportunity to lend voluntary seva in the above projects, and will form the manpower base for the project.
Hospital. The villagers of the nearby Banara village have demanded a hospital for them. Such a hospital, equipped with modern facilities will be built, to provide medical aid to everyone residing within 10 kilometers of the ashram.
June 19th, 2009
Update on 27th April 2011: The Central University location has been changed to Bander Sindri near Ajmer and only 80 kms from Jaipur. The Innovation University (previsouly referred to as National University) aiming for world class is now pushed for Jaipur. [Times of India]
The panel set up by the CM of Rajsthan has picked the following places to recommend to the central government for the various national institutes and universities coming up in Rajasthan. (From a Times of India report and another Times of India report)
- IIT : Jodhpur
- IIM: Udaipur
- National University aiming for world-class: Ajmer
- Central university: Bikaner.
The committee also recommended:
- a "futuristic" heritage conservation and museology centre in Jaipur
- an institute of Food Technology in Hadoti region of Kota
Currently the following national institutions exisit or are being made in the following places in Rajasthan:
- NIT: Jaipur
- LNMIT (private but top-notch): Jaipur
- National law School: Jodhpur
- AIIMS-like institution (being made): Jodhpur
The institutions are nicely distributed between various cities of Rajsthan, although people of Jaipur and Kota are not happy. The population of these locations are:
- Jaipur (World Gazetteer 2009): 3.1 million (has inetrnational air connectivity)
- Jodhpur (World Gazetteer 2009): 988K – (332 kms from Jaipur; has air connectivity)
- Udaipur (World Gazetteer 2009): 457K – (400 kms from Jaipur; has air connectivity)
- Ajmer (World Gazetteer 2009): 604.7K – (131 kms from Jaipur)
- Bikaner (World Gazetteer 2009): 624.6K – (321 kms from Jaipur)
- Kota (World Gazetteer 2009): 823 K (242 kms from Jaipur)
In contrast in Orissa the distribution of national institutions are more Bhubaneswar centric. Following is the status:
- IIT: Bhubaneswar
- NISER: Bhubaneswar
- AIIMS-like (being made) : Bhubaneswar
- National Law University: Cuttack (part of Bhubaneswar metroplex)
- IIIT (state-funded) : Bhubaneswar
- National University aiming to be world class: Bhubaneswar
- Vedanta University (private): Puri
- NIT: Rourkela
- Central University: Koraput
- IIIT (centrally funded): state wants it in Berhampur; center has identified as Bhubaneswar
Unfortunately, one of the reason given behind the above selection is the lack of connectivity and the size of places. Following is some information on that.
- Bhubaneswar (World Gazetteer 2009): 1.67 million (has airport but no inetrnational connectivity)
- Rourkela (World Gazetteer 2009): 551 K (no air connections) – 334 kms from Bhubaneswar
- Berhampur (World Gazetteer 2009): 403 K (no air connections) – 160 kms from Bhubaneswar
- Koraput-Jeypore-Sunabeda: 200K+ (no air connections) – 499 kms from bhubaneswar
- Puri (World Gazetteer 2009): 185K – 60 kms from Bhubaneswar
- Sambalpur (World Gazetteer 2009): 258 K (no air connections) – 321 kms from Bhubaneswar
- Jharsuguda-Belpahar-Brajarajnagar: 200 K (no air connections) – 374 kms from Bhubaneswar; 50 kms from Sambalpur
For the future, following are some of the steps that Orissa government needs to urgently take regarding developing more larger urban areas and having the national institutions more evenly distributed:
- Make sure the centrally funded IIIT is established in Berhampur
- Establish functioing airports in Jharsuguda, Rourkela and Koraput at the earliest
- Push for international flights to Bhubaneswar
- Push for upgradation of UCE Burla (Sambalpur area) to an IIEST (Indian Institute of Engineering Science & Technology)
- Push for the establishment of a branch of IGNTU (Indira Gandhi National Tribal University) in Phulbani
- Push for the establishment of IIM outside of the Bhubaneswar area
- Push for the establishment of a centrally funded KBK Inst of Engineering and Technology (along the lines of SLIET and ABAGKIET) in Kalahandi or Balangir.
- Push for upgrading another medical college (Berhampur or Sambalpur) to AIIMS level.
- Push for establishing NID in a location outside of Bhubaneswar
- Push for establishing NIPER in a location outside of Bhubaneswar
- Push for a BITS Pilani campus in a location outside of Bhubaneswar
June 12th, 2009
As per its web page, currently the KIIT group has the following institutions:
In 2009 it is starting four new schools:
- Mass communication
- Design
- Film studies
- Sculpture
In addition KISS (Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences) plans to offer Mastesr program in Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Botany, Zoology, Political Science, Philosophy, Economics, History, Tribal study, Anthropology, Accountancy, English, Oriya, and Sociology. the following ad for admission to KISS suggests that it will soon be a university on its own.
Considering the way KIIT is going one day the group may have the maximum number and variety of programs among all universities in India. Below are a list of programs at the Bachelors/Masters level that come to mind that the KIIT group does not yet have. Readers are requested to suggest additional programs.
- School of Architecture
- School of Physical and Earth Sciences (Mathematics, Statistics, Physics, Chemistry, Geology, Earth Science)
- School of Life Sciences (Biology)
- Schoolof Liberal Arts (Economics, Political science, Geography, Philosophy, Sociology, Anthropology, History, Linguistics, Psychology, Sociology, Women and Gender studies)
- School of Public Health
- School of Archaeology
- School of performance arts (Music, Dance, Theater, various instruments, various kinds of vocals) – with regular events for locals
- School of Fine Arts and Creative Writing (Art education, Art history, Art studies, ceramics, drawing, fibres, metals, painting, photography, print making)
- School of Business (Accountancy, Finance, Entrepreneurship, Marketing)
- Additional Engineering fields: Industrial engineering, Chemical engineering, Bioengineering, Petroleum Engineering, Mining Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Aerospace Engineering
- Culinary Institute
- School of Public Policy and Government
- School of Energy and Sustainability
- School of Construction
- School of Medical technology (including Bio-Medical Informatics)
- School of Nursing
- Programs in Social Service
- School of Agriculture
- School of Veterinary Science
- School of Education (including special education)
- School of Agri-business, Food science and Nutrition
- School of Tourism
- School of Sports sciences and Kinesiology
- School of Religious studies
- School of Aviation and Aviation management
June 7th, 2009
