Recently central Government of India is establishing quality higher educational institutions like National University, also known as World Class Central University, in the state capitals/major cities across India and not a single one is being built in semi-urban rural region that are far away from state capital. Main criteria given for identifying such locations is available infrastructure, it’s the airport. Air-connectivity does not come automatically to any city unless it is commercially vaiable. In developed countries like USA smaller cities do have airports becasue the average population can easily afford air travel due to economic reasons. Large part of India, at least 80 % population, rarely or never depends on air travel because of economic reasons. Unless new investment, industries and establishment come to a region, air connectivity is not commercially viable in India. It is also true once such large institution like Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), National University is established in any location in India it encourages industrialization in the local level by encouraging air connectivity in later stage.
Few academicians argue that air connectivity will encourage fast movement of people within and out side the country. However, for only 2 % of people taking such step is how much fair, when many institutions in smaller cities acorss the world have maintained international standard without having any airport. There are examples in national level itself like IIT Kharagpur, IIT Roorkiee, BITS Pilani etc. In addition many academicians do not hesitate to travel to such interier locations without having airport as per their requirments. On the other side, existing institutions in large metros in India with international airports like IIT, All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Madras University, Calcutta University, Mumbai University, Delhi University etc and having decades of experience in education and research are not yet made true world class University, thus, in the name of world class University public investment should not be concentrated in one area of a state. Many economists agree that huge investment while establishing such new and large institutions mainly goes to construction sectors which directly boost the local economy.
The failure of many other state and central Universities located in capitals or major cities was never analyzed before putting restriction on establishing such national institution in semi-urban rural region far from state capital like Bhawanipatna in India. Requirement of airport for such establishment in India could be game played by few following a model for their own convenience that are blindly getting support. Not only during establisment of general Universities, model colleges etc but also while establishing quality higher educational institution through public funds such as IIT, IIM, National University in India, there should be equal distribution based on various states and semi urban rural areas far aways from state capital. For instance one can compare National Universities in Kalahandi and Delhi, but not a state University in Kalahandi with a National University in Delhi/Bhubaneswar. Since every part of India has the right to use public fund unlike private fund, and there is equal chance of failure in all these locations, among 14 National Universities proposed across India 4 to 7 should be built in smaller town in rural India far aways from sate capital like in Bhawanipatna and should be left for the future generation to evaluate.
Putting such institution only in capital region is encouraging large rural mass migration from rural place like Kalahandi, Nuapada, Balangir etc directly affecting the local economy there and making Indian metros/larger cities over populated, polluted and stressed compared to western cities. Kalahandi has more appeal for a National University not only for its infamous backwardness in the nation, available basic infrastructure, distance from state capital and rural mass migration in the nation but also due to its ideal location in eastern state of Orissa, surrounded by equally backward districts. By establishing such national University in those localities will reverse the migration process and control rural migration towards larger interest of the nation.
During medieval period, development used to focus in the capital region in India bringing large difference within a state, which ultimately was forcing division to smaller states or kingdoms in India. The same policy is still followed in modern days democratic India, having a huge population, large geographical area, multi-language and multi-ethical society, by the modern policy makers; though 70% of India still lives in such rural areas.
Eastern state Orissa’s state capital is proposed to have National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), (similar to Indian Institute of Science Education and Research and Indian Institute of Science Bangalore), IIT, AIIMS etc which are of the same stature of national university, apart from railway medical college and many national level research institutions. Bhubaneswar is the only location in India where NISER, IIT, and National University are coming in one city. Beside that Anil Agrawal foundation is establishing a world class University with Rs. 15,000 crore (3 billion USD) investment within 70 km from Bhubaneswar. Vedanta has not yet established a national standard University in Kalahandi where it is affecting environment directly before establishing Rs. 15,000 crore (3 billion USD) world class University for the purpose of philanthropy. Does not such region need investment in infrastrucutre and higher education? In reality such place need more and special attention for various social aspects. This is another form of exploitation of rural mass and interior India at the intelectual level, which could trigger social problem in the society.
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