Kosal Discussion and Development Forum

Students demand Central status for Sambalpur university, Orissa

January 13, 2010 at 4:13 pm sanjibkarmee Leave a comment

Following is a report from The Times of India:

SAMBALPUR: Students of western Orissa on Tuesday reiterated their demand for Central university status to Sambalpur University. They were taking part in a convention held on the university campus, where members of the university students’ union threatened of a massive agitation in western Orissa in support of their demand. 

Nearly 500 student leaders and representatives of various colleges of the region took part in the convention and criticized the state government for its “apathy” towards improving the infrastructure and education facilities in the region. 

The students’ convention, organized under the leadership of the university students’ union, has formed a 11-member action committee to decide the future course of action of the proposed agitation. 

“We have decided to start a massive agitation in western Orissa. We have long been asking for Central University Status to Sambalpur University. Although the state government had agreed on principle to confer the same to this University and recommended the Centre in this regard, nothing happened. We have nothing but the state government’s lack of initiative to blame for it,” president of the union Padmanav Mishra said.

“We see no other option but to agitate, with hopes that the government takes notice,” Mishra added while addressing the students. 

Sambalpur University has a total of 180 colleges under it. Established in 1964, it is the only university in the state that covers the largest area of 11 districts in the region.

The Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government wrote to the Centre, supporting the justifications behind the demand. Again in 2008k, the demand was raised by the students and teachers again, following the Centre’s declaration to establish a central university in Orissa. But that was set up in Koraput.

Entry filed under: Region watch, Sambalpur, Sambalpur University, Sambalpur-Rairakhol-Kuchinda, Universities. Tags: Higher Education Zone.