Letter to MHRD: IIM in Odisha and Central/National University in Kalahandi

Jan 25, 2010

To

The Honorable HRD Minister, Mr Sibal

CC
The Honorbale Prime Minister Dr Singh
The Honorable UPA Chairperson Mrs Gandhi
The Honroble Chief Minister of Odisha Mr Patnaik

Dear Mr. Sibal,
Recently you have said that your Ministry will consider sanctioning an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Kozhikode.
http://www.indiaedunews.net/Kerala/After_IIM%2C_Kerela_may_get_an_IIT_10375/

This annoucement is besides IIM, IISER, Central University, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IISST), Innovation/National (world class central) University, etc already proposed in Kerala.

Similalry Rajastant was given an IIT as well as an IIM recently. West Bengal has an IIT, an IIM and an IISER.

In this respect, why a new IIM could not be estbalished in Odisha? The vast region of Western Odisha has not got any national institution recently whereas South, North, Central and Coastal Odisha have many national institutions or laboratories by various ministries of Govt. of India. There is no national institution or labaoratory for higher education in Sambalpur, Balangir and Bhawanipatna region.

Ministry of HRD has also already sanctioned two central Universities to Jammu and Kashmir due to public protest whereas similar demand in Kalahandi for a Central or National University was undermined after establishing Central University at Koraput. Demand for a Central or National University in Kalahandi has been since past two decades. MPs from Odisha have also written to you as well as brought to the notice of the parlimanet (Samaja, Dec 17, 2009) on the matter.

http://kalahandia.blogspot.com/2009/12/bhakta-das-and-sanjaya-bhoi-demand-and.html

North Eastern states in India have got special preference by MHRD while establishing National Institutions but Kalahandi has not got anything so far by the central Government. There was demand to estbablih Central University in KBK in the line of North Eastern states. However, Odisha was only given a Central University in the state quota but special grant for KBK was ignored which should be ractified.

Many people and analysts think a world class institution could be easily established in place like Kalahandi as establishing such national institution should NOT be location specific.

http://www.dnaindia.com/opinion/main-article_for-students-sake_1336844

Unfortunately, MHRD has not considered Odisha in serious note historically even though state Government and MPs from the region repeatedly raised these issues with the central Government. Earlier MHRD had shifted the proposed NIS from Odisha to Kolkata and there was huge public protest against this move, finally honroable Prime Minister Dr. Singh had to interfere and announce NISER at Bhubaneswar through DAE.

I hope your ministry will not repeat the same and will look into this matter to grant an IIM for Odisha and another central/national University in Kalahandi.

Thank you and best regards