Tuesday, August 14, 2007

 

KBK Varsity likely to come up soon

The Pioneer, Aug 15, 2007

Pioneer News Service | Bhubaneswar
... even as campaign for it gains momentum

Even as the civil society is rooting for a KBK University at the tribal town of Malkangiri in Orissa, Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development D Purandeswari on Monday announced that the State's request for a Central University would receive due consideration.

Agami Odisha, which is spearheading the campaign for a KBK University, led a massive rally at Malkangiri on Monday to press demand for the promotion of education in the undivided districts of Koraput, Balangir and Kalahandi (KBK). Almost a coincidence, Purandeswari, replying to a question in Rajya Sabha, said that a proposal to set up 16 Central Universities, one each in the States having no Central University, is in the process of being finalised. Orissa is among the States where there is no Central University at present.

Orissa's request for establishment of a Central University in the tribals-dominated KBK region would receive due consideration, she said. Further, a Bill for setting up a Central Tribal University is in the process of being introduced in the current session of the Parliament.

The proposed university shall have power to establish its regional centres in the areas inhabited by tribal populations, which could include the KBK region of Orissa, Purandeswari added.

On Monday, the entire masses of youth, intellectuals, former bureaucrats, businessmen and other members of the civil society of Malkangiri came out openly in favour of a KBK University. Local MLA Nimai Sarkar and senior legislator of Kodinga, Sadan Naik, along with their supporters, also joined the nearly one-km-long procession, which moved for two hours before culminating at the Collector's office, where he was presented a memorandum in support of the demand. The nearest Berhampur University is 500 km away from their place.

Similar report in Tathya.in

Monday, August 13, 2007

 

Central Tribal Varsity Being Planned In Orissa

Newspostindia, Aug 13, 2007

Thousands of tribals in Orissa's poverty ridden Kalahandi, Bolangir and Koraput (KBK) districts may soon have access to better higher education with a central university being planned there.

The human resource development (HRD) ministry Monday said it was weighing a state government proposal to set up such a university in the region.

'Orissa being one of such states (without a central university), its request for establishment of a central university in the tribal-dominated KBK region shall receive due consideration,' Minister of State for HRD D. Purandeswari said.

'Further, a bill for setting up a central tribal university is in the process of being introduced in the current session of parliament,' Purandeswari informed the Rajya Sabha.

The proposed university shall have power to establish its regional centres in areas inhabited by tribals.

The HRD ministry had earlier said there was a proposal for setting up 16 central universities in states where there was no such university.

Several PIB releases on new central universities can be found at Orissalinks

 

Summary of mass movement in Malkangiri for a KBK central university: by Mr Lalit Patnaik

Dear Friends,
On behalf of Agami Odisha, me and Dillip Sabat has been deputed to participate in the mass rally for demand of KBK university. Our President sri Dhiren Ray wished us good luck in the departing moment.
We have to travel 700 KM to reach Malkangiri from Bhubaneswar. 350 KM by Train up to Vizaynagaram, and subsequently by Bus another 225 Km through Ghat up to Jeypore and rest 125 Km through deep jungle to Malkangiri. We reached their in the early morning hours to be received by Malkangiri MLA Mr Nimai Sarkar and his associates. We proceeded to Dandakaranya Guest House and found Police in the nook and corner of Malkangiri town, the last one of Orissa before Chattishgarah. The town is Naxal infected and it needs courage to live there, for Police as well as for People.
Mr Sadan naik, MLA of Kodinga came along with his associate by 11 am and our rally started at 11.30 am from bus stand arena. I was really surprised to see the large gathering of students( Young men and women ) of not less than 1250 in number. There were around 250 Intellectuals, business men and retired old persons. The rally was led at three places, front one by Intellectuals, the middle one by the women students and the last one by Men students. the slogan of KBK University is our demand reverberated the high walls of Malkangiri Mountain and almost entire town was by the side road watching the marathon rally of nearly 1 Km long. The rally moved for 2 hours and culminated at Collector's Office. Collector rushed to his office from a meeting some where else so as to receive our Memorandum to the President of India. Even after handing over of memorandum, the students were in no mood to disperse but went on giving slogans for their right to have a
University around KBK. The people were aghast since long, because the nearest University of Berhampur is 500 Km away from their place.
Sincerity of their demand was well visible from the eyes of those boys as well as girl students. After wards, the president of their college walked close to me and expressed his thanks to Agamee odisha for taking up their cause. In return I assured him to carry their message to the Swabhimani odiya all over the world, to support in their endeavor to get an Central funded University at KBK.
They are struggling for their right to higher education, amidst the chaos of Naxalisim. They are not demanding their land to be annexed to Chattisgarah, a very close by State, nor are they demanding for more food or money but are only asking for a Central University, which we all should fight and get it for them, is not it. Are they not real swabhimani Odiya's ?.

While staying 700 Km away from the capital, they are reciting the song of Mother Odiya, day in and day out.

I salute them.

Yours,
Lalit Pattnaik

Other News coverage: Orissalink

Thursday, August 02, 2007

 

TOI: Special plan envisages setting up of 30 Central Universities

Times of India, Aug 2, 2007

NEW DELHI: In a major rollout for high and technical education, Planning Commission has proposed a seven-year special plan (2007-14) which includes setting up eight new IITs, seven new IIMs, 20 NITs, 20 IIITs and 50 centres for training and research in frontier areas.

Of the IITs, three have already been cleared and one IIM at Shillong has received the green signal. The seven-year special plan for higher and technical education would start in the 11th Plan and spill over to the next without being diluted. The plan panel has proposed a funding of Rs 1.31 lakh crore for the seven year plan.

The full Planning Commission will discuss the proposal threadbare when it meets on August 6 to deliberate exclusively on the impetus that should be delivered to education for the 11th Plan.

The special plan envisages setting up of 30 central universities. One central university will be located in each of the 16 uncovered states while 14 new ones of world class will come up in states which provide land free of cost in attractive locations.

These universities will have various schools including medical and engineering institutions. Also, 370 new degree colleges in districts with low gross enrolment ratio would be established and 6,000 colleges would be strengthened.
In the field of technical education, the seven-year plan talks of expansion and upgradation of 200 technical institutions in various states. There is also a plan to upgrade seven technical universities which include Bengal Engineering College, Howrah, Cochin University of Science & Technology, Andhra University Engineering College, Vishakapatnam, University Engineering College, Osmania University, Jadavpur University, Institute of Technology BHU and Zakir Husain College of Engineering & Technology, AMU.

Apart from eight IITs and seven IIMs, there is a plan to have five Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research, two Schools of Planning and Architecture, 20 National Institutes of Technology, 20 Indian Institutes of Information Technology and 50 centres of training and research in frontier areas.

The central assistance under the special plan has a very strong reform component and looks up to states to agree for a minimum set of reforms to restructure higher education system covering admission, revision in curricula, collaboration with foreign universities and networking.

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