Letter to CM: Prioritizing elevation to state/unitary university based on necessity, and not by politics

Dear Honorable Chief Minister Mr. Patnaik,

It is unfortunate that the State Government is not taking initiative to elevate colleges to state University based on priority of regional requirement, but has decided to elevate Khallikote Autonomous College at Berhampur and Gangadhar Meher College at Sambalpur to unitary university status.

I am not opposed to elevation of above two colleges to unitary universities, but instead of giving priority to necessity of a state University in backward KBK region, the state Government is bringing politics over the issue.

When Ravenshaw Unitary University and VSS Unitary University are on their path to deliver, I do not know why Unitary University status for the above two colleges bring more significance to Higher Education Department despite that fact that they are located in a stone through distance from other state Universities.

The necessity of a state University in Kalahandi for KBK region bears importance because for practical purpose as the local students and people of KBK suffer while traveling to Sambalpur or Berhampur Universities due to long distance and poor communication.

Perhaps, a student or faculty from a college in Jayapatna, Dharamgarh, Sinapali, Umarkote, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Koraput etc may understand better what distance and communication mean to him/her while communicating his/her university.

Higher Education Department is possibly excited for the conversion to Unitary University as Khallikote is located in stone through away distance from state capital to become Oxford of India, though it’s unable to hire many vacant lecturer posts across the state.

The demand for a state University in KBK is also pending since two state Universities were established in North part of Odisha. From Utkal University, two state Universities and a Unitary University have already been carved out, where as not a single state University have been carved out either from Sambalpur or Berhampur University as per regional requirement.

Since there are many new proposals as per recent Higher Education Task Force recommendation, the state Government and Higher Education Department must chalk out a plan to convert to such state and unitary universities in the priority basis in a phase wise manner, without any political motivation.

I would be surprised if the Higher Education Task force would have ever recommended such elevation to unitary universities in priority basic compared to requirement of a state University in KBK region? If was the case, based on what criteria?

Logically and taking into consideration of practical purpose, for Odisha at this moment urgency of a state University in KBK region is more important over conversion of Unitary Universities, which are already Autonomous Colleges and when the cities/regions have already general state Universities.

Kalahandi is located in the centrally in KBK and Government Autonomous College Bhawanipatna (GACB) is one of the first three colleges of Potential Center of Excellence received from UGC along with Gangadhar Meher College at Sambalpur and Ravenshaw College at Cuttack.

GACB is the only College in KBK region which has received this recognition and the demand for a University in Kalahandi has been since while, our late Chief Minister Biju Patanik was once attached in Kalahandi for the same cause.

Even taking into the implementation of higher education task force recommendation in phase wise manner, state University in Kalahandi should get first priory over any other location due to above facts.

In my opinion, in the priority basis the recommendation should be for a state University in Kalahandi, followed by a state University in South Orissa, state University in Central Orissa, One Branch campus in Eastern Orissa (Cuttack), State University in Western Orissa, One Branch Campus in Keonjhar for North Orissa, Branch campus in Phulbani for South Orissa, Metropolitan University in Rourkela, Unitary University for GM, Khallikote and RD Women Colleges, 2nd Branch campus in Eastern Orissa (Puri), 3rd Branch campus in Jagatsingpur, 4th branch campus in Jajpur/Kedrapada, State University in Parliakhemundi for South Eastern Orissa and so on.

I hope you will look into the matter for appropriate action.

Thanking you and best regards

Digambara Patra