Upgrade Sambalpur varsity: VC

Newindpress, 11th April, 2008
Friday April 11 2008 09:10 IST
Express News Service

BURLA: AFTER the employees, ex-students, academicians, intelligentsia, Sambalpur University Vice-Chancellor U C Biswal joined the bandwagon demanding Central varsity status for Sambalpur University.Addressing mediapersons, Prof Biswal said keeping in view the excellent track record of the University in education, academics, research and various other parameters, the Sambalpur University deserves to be upgraded into a Central University. He added that two basic requirements, comprising school concepts and semester system, were prevalent in the varsity besides well equipped laboratories with sophisticated equipment.Pointing out that the University had under its ambit colleges in as many as 19 districts, he highlighted the achievements made by the University in the field of research with support from UGC, ICSSR and international universities. In the recent past, School of Life Sciences, PG departments of chemistry, economics and history have received funding support for eight researches to be carried out by the departments.Moreover, UGC has allotted Rs 50 lakh and given its nod to open Centre for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy.He also spoke about proposals, sent to UGC, for opening 15 advanced centres of studies at a cost of Rs 75 crore and two satellite campuses at Bhawanipatna and Rourkela.Disclosing that e-governance will be implemented shortly in the campus including the administrative building, Prof Biswal said funds had also been received for a new ladies hostel and a guest house to be built at a cost of Rs 75 lakh each.He further added that two more national awards apart from Gangadhar Meher Award have been instituted by the university on Social Science and Natural Science and will be conferred from next academic session.Maintaining that the State Government had already written to the Centre for upgrading Sambalpur University into a Central University, he said conferring a Central University status would go a long way in the development of the backward western Orissa.