Bhubaneswar: Classes at the eight Model Degree Colleges established in educationally backward districts in the State will start from the current academic session with the Higher Education department releasing the list of subjects to be taught in these colleges on Saturday.
The Model Degree Colleges were opened in Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Boudh, Deogarh, Nuapada, Subarnapur and Nayagarh districts. Three streams like Arts, Science and Commerce will be there in these colleges.
As per the notification, while 160 seats will be there in Arts and Science streams, 80 seats will be available for Commerce stream.
Besides the compulsory subjects like English, Odia, Environmental Studies in the three streams, Honours subjects like Economics, Education, Sociology, Political Science, and Anthropology will be available in Arts stream while Honours facility in the subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Botany and Zoology will be available in Science stream. Commerce honours subjects will also available in these colleges.
The gross enrolment ratio (GER) in these districts is lower than the State’s average of 11.3 per cent , which the Government intends to improve to 30% by 2022.
The colleges are to come up under the Central Government’s Model Degree College (MDC) scheme, mooted during the UPA-I regime for the country’s 374 districts with poor gross enrolment ratio (GER). The GER is the number of enrolled students as against every hundred eligible students.
The State has currently 720 degree colleges with a capacity to admit 2.16 lakh students.
The State Government has requested the Centre to accord approval to nine polytechnics to start functioning from 2014-15 academic year as the buildings have already been completed.
In a letter, Chief Secretary Jugal Kishore Mohapatra has requested Ashok Thakur, Secretary in the Department of Higher Education of Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) to advise the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) to accord approval to the polytechnics at the earliest.
The polytechnics are located at Jajpur, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Puri, Angul, Bargarh, Boudh, Koraput and Nayagarh.
The Chief Secretary said the new buildings have been inspected by the expert team of AICTE.
Steps have been taken to correct the deficiencies highlighted by the team. As pointed out by the team, library books along with required journals and personal computers will be available by July, 2014, he said.
Mohapatra said applications have been received for recruitment of laboratory assistants and lecturers by the Odisha Staff Selection Commission (OSSC) and the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) respectively. The recruitment process for these posts is expected to be completed before the start of the 2014-15 academic session, he added.
The MHRD had proposed to set up 22 Government polytechnics in the under-served and uncovered districts of the State under the scheme of ‘Submission on Polytechnic’.
The State Government has made a provision of `12.30 crore for each polytechnic to be set up. In August, 2013, the AICTE had given its nod to eight polytechnics to commence classes in the 2013-14 academic year.
This was a lively debate. Expect few leaders everyone spoke within the scope of the topic. Otherwise, now day TV debates are often turning brawl and theatrical stage. I observed that all most all leaders spoke in Kosli language. They should also use Kosli language in assembly; so that people of western Odisha will understand them. The discussion was about health, education and human resource development in western Odisha (Balangir and Kalahandi Medical college, AIIMs and other centrally funded institutes); industrialization; pollution in Sambalpur-Jharsuguda belt; KBK issues, Dadan sramik; malnutrition; starvation death; unemployment; Gadjats; feudal mentality of political leadership; and Kosal state demand.
People of western Odisha feel alienated because their voice is not heard by the mainstream Odia media. Thanks to the Kanak TV for providing a platform to people of western Odisha (although one speaker was accusing the organizers about the choice of the title and divide and rule policy).
Spiritualism pervaded the air here with Art of Living Guru Sri Sri Ravishankar’s visit and didactic discourse on Wednesday evening at the college field here thronged by the people of both Kalahandi and adjacent districts.
The backdrop of the dais was catchy with the images of Maa Manikeswari Temple, Chhatar Yatra and the primitive tribal groups depicting the true aura of this tribal district.
In the morning hour, Ravishankar laid a foundation stone at nearby Dharmagarh for an agriculture university and air-dashed here by chopper at around 2.30 pm. Being accorded a rousing reception at the police field here, he went to the farm house of Kalahandi MP Bhakta Charan Das, 10 km away from here, where he joined a Rudravishek at the Shiv Temple in the premises.
Addressing hundreds of Dongria Kondhs and tribals from the Niyamgiri hilly areas, invited by MP Das, Ravishankar said, the tribal culture and heritage should be saved at any cost. Guruji announced to construct a school in the tribal area where the kids will have better education and also distributed blankets to 800 primitive tribes.
Addressing the gatherings from the dais in the evening hour, Guruji exhorted that people should focus on agriculture so that development is possible.
“Where the feeling of apnapan and prem (universal acceptance and love for all) ends, there starts bhrastachar (corruption) and unless the people curb corruption unitedly, there will never be any progress while corruption can be eradicated through Art of Living course,” Guruji asserted.
Guruji also appealed to the people to cooperate with each other to develop the underdeveloped Kalahandi and formation of sadbhavna (equality) among all.
Emphasising on seva, he said everyone’s determination, dedication and God’s grace will witness Kalahandi develop soon. He also advised to have a sanitation drive in each village and get the district rid of plastics.
Recalling his recent visit to China, Ravishankar said no western country has developed like China.
Focusing on medicinal plants he said, Kalahandi is full of flora and fauna in its forests and if it is used for the betterment of human beings, it would profit all and the people would get good medicines in the market.
He also appealed to the farmers to have a zero budget farming.
Guruji informed that MP Bhakta Das had requested him to have a visit to the district and since so many people from Kalahandi have visited him in the last 15 years, he was curious to reciprocate.
Speaking to the Press on as to why terrorism is increasing in the world, Guruji replied that is why he is a globetrotter striving at bringing peace and equality among all.
When asked whether he supports the industrialisation, Guruji quipped, “Yes I do, but never at the cost of environment.”
BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has decided to enhance scholarships for college students and those pursuing technical courses.
A decision to this effect was taken at a high-level meeting presided by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here today. Plus Two, degree, post-graduate, engineering, medical, dental, agriculture and veterinary students will be eligible for the enhanced scholarships.
It was also decided that more students will be given scholarships from the current academic year. The junior merit scholarship for the Plus Two students has been increased from ` 40 to ` 300 per month. Senior merit scholarship for degree students has been hiked from ` 50 to ` 500 per month.
The PG merit scholarship will be ` 1000 per month. This has been enhanced from ` 60. The scholarship for students pursuing engineering, medical, dental and other technical studies will be ` 10,000 per year.
The income limit of the parents for availing the scholarship for their wards has been enhanced to ` 4.5 lakh per year from ` 24,000. Interested students can apply for the scholarship to the Higher Education Department through their respective colleges.
While 5000 students will be given the scholarship at the Plus Two level, this will benefit 1000 students at the degree level.
At PG level, the scholarship will be given to 500 students. Besides, 10,000 students from different technical courses will be extended the scholarship.
The Chief Minister underscored the need for creating awareness among the students about the new scholarship structure.
He said the students should get the scholarship amount at the right time.
Higher Education Minister Debi Prasad Mishra, Bijay Kumar Patnaik, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Additional Development Commissioner Rabinarayan Senapati, Principal Secretary in the Finance Department Jugal Kishore Mohapatra, Secretary, Higher Education Department, Madhusudan Padhi, and senior officials were present.
SAMBALPUR: The privatisation and outsourcing spree has not spared Sambalpur University either. If the varsity authorities have their way, students will soon find their examination and evaluation done by a private agency. And this has stirred up a hornet’s nest. The student community and the intelligentsia expressed strong resentment at the move to outsource examination.
The university is planning Integrated Examination Management System under which a private agency will be hired. The agency will look after all the exam-related activities __ registration of examinees, admit cards, setting question papers, valuation of answersheets and issuing provisional marksheets. The system is to be implemented at the university’s 220-affiliated colleges, besides various departments. Once implemented, this would effectively end the work of six examination cells, six confidential cells, one private cell and one distance education cell that are involved in conducting examinations of around 65,000 students every year.
Sources said three south-based IT firms __ Mind Largx Infotech Limited (Bangalore), Merit Trac Services Private Limited (Bangalore) and Om Shanti Soft Solution Private Limited (Hyderabad) had evinced interest in the project after the varsity floated a tender in July. Although university authorities have not yet finalised the deal, the move has led to public outcry. Former Vice-Chancellor of Berhampur University Prof A P Padhi and All-India University Employees’ Federation president Bhawani Hota have asked the authorities to first evolve a consensus. University syndicate member Karunakar Supakar said he would raise the issue at the syndicate.
The decision has also come in for stiff opposition from Sambalpur University Employees’ Association, All-Koshal Students’ Union, Sambalpur Chhatra Vikash Parishad and Sambalpur unit of NSUI. The NSUI, led by district president Debasis Dash, held a meeting on Saturday and resolved to launch a stir if the decision is not withdrawn. However, university Registrar Dr S S Rath said the proposal is at nascent stage and all aspects will be looked into before taking a final decision.
People of Kalahandi are grateful to the Naveen Patnaik Government for having granted establishment of two professional institutions for the first time. Retired professor of Sambalpur University Gopabandhu Behera, in his letter to the Chief Minister, has lauded his initiative to set up institutions in this backward part of the State.
Never before had the Government started any institution of higher education of its own, said Prof Behera. People of Kalahandi have set up all institutions on their own despite their hand-to-mouth financial conditions. This shows people’s participation was always there.
However, the people are not able to establish institutions like university and management institutes. Prof Behera reminds that leading persons of Kalahandi had moved for establishment of a central university in the district. But the Chief Minister was good enough to point out that since he had already committed to Koraput district for establishment of this university he would sanction other institutions for Kalahandi.
The Task Force on Higher Education has recommended establishment of a South Western Odisha (SWO) University at the Kalahandi district headquarters town of Bhawanipatna.
Prof Behera says that if one examines objectively, he will find that Bhawanipatna is another centre like Bhubaneswar waiting for development. The recommendation of the Task Force can be implemented phase-wise. Hence, establishment of a university at Bhawanipatna has to be undertaken in the first phase. If a suitable Officer on Special Duty (OSD) is appointed, the university can flourish, observes Prof Behera.
Prof Digambara Patra, a leading non-resident Odia (NRO) has also all along been batting for this university in Bhawanipatna.
Kosal Discussion and Development Forum 