NRO activist stresses multi-disciplinary varsities in State

The Pioneer, Nov 24, 2009

PNS | Bhubaneswar

Noted non-resident Odia (NRO) activist Digambara Patra has requested the Higher Education Task Force of the Odisha Government to give emphasis on reforming towards multi-disciplinary universities in the State like in US and Europe, instead of specialised universities as envisaged by the task force.

Unfortunately, instead of bringing reform in administration to effectively administer all the affiliated colleges within a university, our policy makers are separating those out of university which is not the need of the hour. A multi-disciplinary education and multi-cultural environment is needed to compete at the international level, Patra expressed in his letter.

There is a section of educationalists in India who think these kind of special universities are more political than for acquiring knowledge. By establishing such kinds of special universities we are not doing any favour towards the real cause of education, knowledge gaining, sharing and inter-disciplinary research except doing a favour for the politicians and administration, opined Patra who is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry, American University of Beirut.

One should not limit a university similar to the Utkal University of Culture. Rather the objective should be that it fulfills the requirement qualitatively as well. Instead of going by population or urbanisation and establishing universities in each town or city, 13 undivided districts should get independent status in higher education through a complete university, so that they build their own future.

Of course, this will balance the regional imbalance existing today in higher education as well as bring effectiveness in knowledge acquiring and sharing, explained Patra in his letter.

Such multi-disciplinary universities in each undivided district can independently fulfill all the local needs and should have authority to perform and, if required, open new campus in its locality which will bring accountability to the process without political/regional favouritism, he further suggested. Autonomous colleges in each district may work independently but affiliating with their local universities, he intimated in the letter.