NRO bats for State University in Kalahandi

The Pioneer, March 16, 2010
PNS, Bhubaneswar

Appreciating the Higher Education Task Force’s (HETF) proposal to establish 13 new universities in Odisha, Lebanon-based non-resident Odia (NRO) Prof Digambara Patra has however urged the HETF for recommending in favour of a State University instead of a Unitary one and christening it as Mahakantara University, Indravati University, South Western University.

“Balangir, Angul and Parlakhemundi have been suggested for State University whereas place like Bhawanipatna has been suggested for Unitary University which is surprising based on location, distance and regional requirement of affiliated colleges,” Patra rues.

Arguing that Kalahandi is the central location in the backward South Western Odisha, State University is more appropriate in Bhawanipatna for the benefit of local students in other affiliated colleges in Kalahandi, Nuapada, Kandhamal, Boudh, Rayagada and Nabarangpur region as Parlakhemundi is still very far to serve the affiliated colleges in Nabarangpur.

Earlier, HETF member Prof Chitta Baral had also pointed out justification for establishing new State University in Bhawanipatna in his personal blog, Patra claims adding demand for Unitary University for Government Autonomous College Bhawanipatna was based on merit when there was no proposal for 13 new universities as has been recommended recently by the HETF. Indeed, in the same merit line of GM Autonomous College and Khallikote Autonomous College, Government College Bhawanipatna deserves to be a Unitary University and at the same time a separate State University is required in Bhawanipatna to serve the affiliated college in the backward South Western Odisha, he argues.

“When State universities are made in Parlakhemundi (94 km from Berhampur) and Balangir (120 km from Sambalpur) instead of Unitary, I do not find any rationality why same think could not be made for Bhawanipatna (a central location in the backward South Western Odisha and far away from both Sambalpur University and Berhampur University compared to Balangir and Parliakhemundi respectively),” Prof Patra questions arguing distance between Balangir and Sambalpur is 120 km where as distance between Sambalpur and Bhawanipatna is 235 km, in fact Jaipatana region of Kalahandi will be more than 300 km from Sambalpur.

“When geographically or distance wise close locations are being given State universities instead of Unitary ones and far away locations are bestowed with Unitary University, it does not resolve the primary goal of the affiliated colleges in those remote localities and so also the aim of the task force,” the NRO remarks quipping if distance and regional requirements are not evaluated for affiliated colleges, I do not see why Khallikote Autonomous College or GM Autonomous College are not made State Universities compared to other locations.