Community colleges in 7 districts soon

The New Indian Express (Bhubaneswar), May 17, 2013

By Express News Service - BHUBANESWAR

17th May 2013 12:21 PM

The Centre has sanctioned for setting up seven community colleges in the State. This alternative system of education is meant for the disadvantaged section of society to offer them job-oriented courses and improve their employability.

The districts where these colleges will be set up are Keonjhar, Kalahandi, Koraput, Sundargarh, Ganjam, Balasore and Mayurbhanj. Initially, the colleges will be run from the premises of Government colleges and will have their campuses later on. Funds for construction of the colleges will be provided by the Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD). The MHRD has proposed to set up 100 such colleges on a pilot basis in the 12th Five Year Plan across the country.

The State Government has already submitted a proposal of ` 12 crore to the Centre in this regard. Official sources said funding for the establishment of the colleges will be released soon. While the community colleges at Keonjhar and Balasore will be run from Dharanidhar College and Fakir Mohan College respectively, the community college of Kalahandi district will be opened at the Bhawanipatna government college. The college of Sundargarh district will be started at the Government autonomous college in Rourkela while Khallikote college at Berhampur will have the community college of Ganjam. The community college of Mayurbhanj will be run from the MPC College, Baripada.

Sources said the colleges will offer academic and skill-based training besides offering courses for preservation and upgradation of skills available with people by virtue of their profession. No formal qualification will be required for admission.

These colleges will design courses to upgrade traditionally available skills to a certifiable level so that certified skills of learners are acceptable nationally. Community colleges will act as centres for developing and promoting traditional skills based on their commercial viability.

Besides,colleges will offer barrier-free short-term certificate courses of various durations to learners. It will be predominantly skill-based and will take care of workforce and life-long learning needs of locality.