Central varsity; a forgotten chapter

Tathya.in, Sept 30, 2010
Koraput:30/September/2010


After lot of agitation and pressure on the Government of India, Odisha got its share of a Central University.

The Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) allowed the Central University of Odisha to be placed at Koraput.

Though it was expected to be established at Bhawanipatna, insistence of Odisha Government forced MHRD to allow it at Koraput.
Then Professor (Dr.) Surabhi Banerjee was appointed Vice Chancellor of the University.

After that the Executive Council was formed with luminaries like Professor M S Swaminathan, Professor M R Madhav Menon, Professor M M Salunkhe, Professor Pramod Tandon, Professor Sushanta Dattagupta and few others.

Today the Executive Council is meeting at New Delhi for its’ sixth meeting.

The Executive Council never met at Koraput during last 2 years.

And it always meets either at Bhubaneswar or New Delhi.
Vice Chancellor spends most of her time commuting between Kolkota-New Delhi-Bhubaneswar.

Hardly she visits Koraput and takes stock of the situation, lamented an insider.
Registrar of the University sits at Bhubaneswar and Financial Advisor is also following the foot steps of the Registrar.

And students are left to themselves with faculty members to take care of the situation.

Problems are galore and for day to day difficulties there is nobody to take care of as the VC and Registrar stays hundreds of miles away.

This is the only University in the country, where such type of arrangements are tolerated, rued a leading educationist.

Leading Non Resident Odias(NRO), those who were creating tremendous pressure on the Central Government to establish the varsity seemed to have sealed their lips, laments he.
And the Minister Higher Education is yet to visit the campus for a detailed study of the problems faced by the students.

He came for inauguration of the University along with Union Minister HRD Kapil Sibal.
Hardly Government of Odisha consulted by the CUO authorities and establishment of its’ permanent campus at Koraput is hanging in balance, said sources.

Now nobody seems bothered about the affairs of the only Central University of the State, which has turned out to be a forgotten chapter, lamented he.

2 yrs on, Central Varsity of Odisha still neglected
Oct 1, 2010,
Pioneer News Service, Koraput

After a lot of agitation and pressure on the Government of India, Odisha got its share of a Central University about two years back. The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) allowed the Central University of Odisha to be located at Koraput.

Though it was expected to be established in Bhawanipatna, the Kalahandi district headquarters, the State Government’s insistence forced the MHRD to set it up at Koraput. Then, Professor Surabhi Banerjee was appointed Vice-Chancellor of the university. After that, the university’s executive council was formed with luminaries like MS Swaminathan, MR Madhav Menon, MM Salunkhe, Pramod Tandon, Sushanta Dattagupta and a few others as its members.

But the executive council, which held its sixth meeting in New Delhi on Thursday, has never met at Koraput during the last two years. The meeting is held either in Bhubaneswar or New Delhi. The Vice-Chancellor spends most of her time commuting between Kolkota, New Delhi and Bhubaneswar. She hardly visits Koraput and takes stock of the situation.

The Registrar of the university sits at Bhubaneswar and Financial Advisor is also following in the footsteps of the Registrar. And students are left to themselves with faculty members to take care of the situation. Problems are galore and for day-to-day difficulties there is nobody to take care of as the VC and Registrar stay hundreds of miles away.

This is the only university in the country where such type of arrangements are tolerated, rued a leading educationist. Leading non-resident Odias (NROs), who were creating tremendous pressure on the Central Government to establish the university, seem to have sealed their lips, lamented he. And the State’s Minister Higher Education is yet to visit the campus for a detailed study of the problems faced by the students. He had come here only for the inauguration of the university along with Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal.

The State Government is hardly consulted by the university authorities, and establishment of the university’s permanent campus here is hanging in balance, said sources.