Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Saturday said an Indian Institute of Management (IIM) would be set up at Garnawathi in Rohtak district.
… The chief minister said a Central University would be set up in Mahendergarh district with the help of Central Government and it would be named after Lord Krishna.
The Centre has also sanctioned the setting up of a Defence University in the state.
NISER/IOP: The IOP+NISER budget (item 9.04 of the DAE budget) is 69 crores in plan + 9 crores in non-plan = 78 crores. The nornal IOP budget is about 20 crores. Hence, 50-58 crores is the budget for NISER in 2008-09. (Note that in 2007-08 IOP was allocated 32.75+7 crores and it spent 27.6+8 = 35.6 crores. I..e, Probably 15-18 crores were spent for NISER. )
IISER: There is a budget of 150 crores (item 61 of the Higher education budget) for the five IISERs. (The budget for three of them was 125 crores in 2007-08, out of which only 60 crores was spent.)
new IITs: There is a budget of 50 crores (item 60 of the Higher education budget) for the establishment of three new IITs. (The budget for them was 80 crores in 2007-08, out of which only 0.01 crores was spent.)
AIIMS-like: There is a total budget of 490 crores (item 26 of the Health ministry budget) for the establishment of 6 new AIIMS-like institutes and upgradation of 10 other institutes. In 2007-08 the budget for this was 150 crores out of which only 90 crores was spent; most of it went to the upgradation part.
NITs: The budget for the NITs (item 69 of the Higher education budget) is 808 (plan) + 285 (non-plan) = 1093 crores. Rs 608 crores of that is for enhancing the number of students to account for the OBC quota.
IITs: The budget for the IITs (item 38 of the Higher education budget) is 1171 (plan) + 525 (non-plan) = 1696 crores. Rs 771 crores of that is for enhancing the number of students to account for the OBC quota.
IISc Bangalore: The budget for the IISc (item 41 of the Higher education budget) is 130 (plan) + 91 (non-plan) = 221 crores. Rs 70 crores of that is for enhancing the number of students to account for the OBC quota.
UGC: The budget for UGC (item 3 of the Higher education budget) is 3095.5 (plan) + 2009.4 (non-plan) = 5104.9 crores. Rs 875 crores of that is for enhancing the number of students to account for the OBC quota.
NIRTAR and other 6 institutes for blind, deaf, mentally retarded and orthopaedically handicapped: The budget for them (item 21 of Ministry of Social Justice budget) is 47+27.05 crores.
IIST (Indian Inst. of Space Sc. & Tech): Its budget (item 12 of ministry of space) is 65.25 crores. 25 crores out of a budgeted 75 crores was spent in 2007-08.
Tourism: Its budget for training (item 5 of Tourism ministry) is 71 + 0.8 crores. It includes 26 Institutes of Hotel management, 7 Foodcraft institutes, IITTM, and NIWS (National Institute of Water Sports).
National Institute of design: Its budget for (item 3 of ministry of commerce) is only 0.25 crores. It was 20.25 crores in 2007-08. It seems the funding pattern has been changed. There is now 50 crores (item 7 of ministry of commerce) for project based support to autonomous institutions which includes NID and several other institutions.
On Feb 2, 2008 9:43 AM, Krishna Murari <kmacharya@…> wrote:
Please see the attached message. Am afraid, the Oriya paper got it completely wrong.
-Special Secy, MHRD
======= His message is below my reply to him. ======
Dear Mr. Acharya:
It is very easy for some one in Orissa to believe that you said what is reported to have been said in Samaja.
Already, your minister Mrs. Purandareswari said something similar. See http://www.indianexpress.com/story/30436.html where it is reported that she read a list of institutions in Orissa that have central assistance to justify why Orissa should not have given an IIT. If she, or the staff who wrote that response, had bothered to compared this with other states, which we did (please see http://iit.orissalinks.com/vol1/state_wise_national_lab.pdf ) she/they would have found that other states have much more such institutes and this reasoning is yet another attempt to harm Orissa by the MHRD.
In general, people all over Orissa have developed a deep distrust of MHRD for reason listed below. From your past actions we are very apprehensive that MHRD will find or make up some reason or other to deny an IIT to Orissa or just deny without any explanation.
(ii) Orissa is at the bottom of higher education enrollment at about 6.1% and needs to cover the largest gap to get to the 11th plan goal of 15%.
(iii) Orissa is the 9th largest state in area and 11th largest in population. (Note that the 8 new IITs will take the total # IITs to 15.)
(iv) Orissa is among the most backward state of the country in most parameters and has the most backward district cluster (KBK districts made up of almost half the size of Orissa) in the country.
(v) Orissa has a vast population of tribals.
(vi) Orissa is trying its best to industrialize and is among the lead in recent ASSOCHAM studies regarding investment destinations.
(vii) The people of Orissa, its MPs, and its CM have been trying very hard for several years now to convince MHRD and the PM about an IIT in Orissa, but without any results. Please see the media articles stored at http://iit.orissalinks.com/vol0/ , http://iit.orissalinks.com/vol1/ , http://iit.orissalinks.com/vol2/ , http://iit.orissalinks.com/vol3/ to know the involvement of every one in Orissa on this. This is very very different from any other state asking for an IIT. Nowhere, the intensity and passion comes even close.
Now let me give you the reasons why people in Orissa have a deep mistrust towards MHRD and believe that MHRD is actively working to keep Orissa down and harm it.
A. MHRD took away a previously announced (by the President) NIS from Orissa. The MHRD fought tooth and nail with Orissa in the political arena (parliament), in courts (Cuttack high court and supreme court), and other places on the NIS issue. And it never gave Orissa the NIS it had taken away which are now called IISERs. MHRD gave them all to its favored states (Pune, Kolkata, Punjab, Bhopal and Kerala.) See http://iit.orissalinks.com/vol1-nis/ and http://iiser.blogspot.com for the press articles and chronology of this.
Thank God, India has a prime minister who has some shame, who sanctioned NISER from his ministry, the DAE. Despite that NISER’s approval in the cabinet was delayed and even now other hurdles have been put that continues to prevent NISER from recruiting regular faculty.
B. The following is a partial list of higher education institutions funded by MHRD that MHRD has announced since this government came. Sir: Can you please find Orissa’s name in it?
1. IISER Kolkata, West Bengal (1)
2. IISER Pune, Maharashtra (1)
3. IISER Mohali, Punjab (1)
4. IISER in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh (1)
5. IISER in Thiruvanthapuram, Kerala (1)
6. IIT in Andhra Pradesh (1)
7. IIT in Rajasthan (1)
8. IIT in Bihar (1)
9. IIM at Shillong, Meghalaya (1)
10. SPA in Vijaywada, Andhra Pradesh (2)
11. SPA in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh (2)
12. Upgradation of Bengal Engineering and Sc U to an IIT clone (IIEST), West Bengal (2)
13. Upgradation of Andhra Univ Engineering College to IIT clone (IIEST), Andhra Pradesh (3)
14. Upgradation of Osmania Univ Engg College to IIT clone (IIEST), Andhra Pradesh (4)
15. Upgradation of IT BHU to IIT clone (IIEST), Uttar Pradesh (1)
16. Upgradation of Cochin Univ of Sc and Tech to IIT clone (IIEST), Kerala (2)
17. IIIT Kanchipuram, Tamilnadu (1)
18. Allahbad University made to a Central University, Uttar Pradesh (2)
19. Manipur University made to a Central University, Manipur (1)
20. Arunachal Pradesh university made to a Central University,Arunachal Pradesh (1)
21. Tripura university made to a Central University, Tripura (1)
22. New Central University in Sikkim, Sikkim (1) 23. CIEFL Hyderabad made to a central university, Andhra Pradesh (5)
24. Indira Gandhi Nationan Tribal University, Madhya Pradesh (3)
25. IIT in Himachal Pradesh (1)
This MHRD has announced TWENTY FIVE+ national institutions so far and Orissa does not even figure once in that list and I am sure you can figure out why people from Orissa completely distrust MHRD and its intentions.
… In addition to this, Shri Patnaik also requested for establishment of a Central University for the KBK Region, which is one of the most backward regions in the country. He pointed out that there was a heavy concentration of the scheduled tribe and scheduled caste population in this region, which has a literacy rate below 50%. Shri Patnaik stated that setting up a Central University in the KBK region would go a long way in encouraging higher education among tribal population. He added that the university could also set up specialized centres for tribal development related studies, as tribal development was one of the biggest challenges facing the country today. Shri. Arjun Singh appreciated the rationale of having a Central University in the KBK region and sought a formal proposal in this regard from the State Government. He assured that this would receive high priority whenever the Central Government considers setting up of new central universities
Please compare it with the following about the proposed Indira Gandhi National Tribal University that came out in Hindu on 19th November 2006. (http://www.hindu.com/2006/11/19/stories/2006111900750900.htm) and it seems that the idea proposed by our CM was stolen by MHRD to establish a similar university with HQ in MP and Orissa was conveniently ignored and thus harmed.
… The Indira Gandhi National Tribal University will encourage studies on tribal art, culture and traditions, forests and natural resources. Tribal students will be given priority in admission. … The D. Swaminadhan Committee, set up by the University Grants Commission, recommended the setting up of a varsity exclusively for promoting tribal culture and providing tribals access to higher education.
====
Thus MHRD is the ministry which not only has not given any national institute to Orissa but seems to have taken away two of them from Orissa: an NIS/IISER and the tribal central university which Orissa seem to have proposed first. Please look up a thesaurus to find out the adjectives used for some one who steals from the poorest of the poor. MHRD, because of its actions towards Orissa, deserves that adjective.
==
Since we do not have any trust in MHRD, we have to take things directly to the PM, Mrs. Gandhi, the planning commission and the people of India at large. There is no other option left for the weakest and the poorest and the most backward when the MHRD that is supposed to help it steals from it and tries its best to harm it and makes up ridiculous and false reasons for it.
We sincerely hope that either the MHRD will come to its senses or the PM and the planning commission will bring it into its senses so that MHRD grants at least
(i) an IIT to Orissa so that Orissa has one of the 15 IITs in the country (b) one of the 14 proposed world class central universities (c) one of the proposed 10 NITs (d) a tribal central university in KBK (out of the remaining 16 new central universities) for all of the reasons mentioned earlier in the mail.
[Again, Orissa is the 9th largest state in area, 11th largest state in population, has been historically funded the least by MHRD, has to bridge the largest gap from 6.1% to the 11th plan target of 15%, and among the states that is trying its hardest - by rapid industrialization- to get out of the bottom of everything.]
Anything less, we will know that MHRD is up to its tricks again, and despite the fact that the PM has increased the number of institutions to so many (8 new IITs taking the total to 15; 14 world class central universities; and 10 new NITs) that there is really no reason, except spite and intent to harm, to not give Orissa the above mentioned institutions.
sincerely and with best regards,
Chitta Baral
———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Krishna Murari <kmacharya@…>
To: RAJESH MOHAPATRA <mahapatrark@…>
Date: Sat, 02 Feb 2008 15:43:18 +0500
Subject: Re: Please don’t force Orissa to remain backward: Reaction to "No IIT for Orissa because it has NISER" – MHRD special secretary as reported in The Samaja
The statement apparently attributed to the Special Secretary, MHRD, in some sections of the Oriya press is completely wrong. No such statement -that because of the NISER, IIT would not be considered for an IIT – was ever made. What was actually said was that Orissa’s demand for an IISER was met by establishing a NISER there.
… Coming down heavily on the Centre, Patnaik said, "I am surprised to see that decisions are being taken on a political consideration. I have repeatedly taken up the matter of establishing of an IIT in Orissa with the Prime Minister and the Union Minister for Human Resources Development (HRD). I have told them that Orissa’s case is a genuine one."
Raising his voice against the Centre, Patnaik said a question should be asked why the Centre shifted the National Institute of Science (NIS), which was sanctioned by the then NDA Government from Bhubaneswar to Kolkata.
Reacting sharply over the remarks of the Union Secretary of HRD that Orissa does not deserve an IIT as it has already got the NISER (National Institute of Science and Educational Research), Patnaik said how could the NIS be shifted to Kolkata when IIT, Kharagpur is already there.
"How West Bengal has taken two such premier institutes? All these decisions have been taken on a political consideration," Patnaik said.
In his letter Patnaik mentioned that as Orissa was witnessing a rapid growth in industrialisation, these technical institutes are required for creating the requisite manpower.
A news report in Samaja (30th January 2008, Page 7) mentions that Special Secretary in the higher education department Mr. Acharya said that, "Orissa and many other states have vigorously demanded IITs; But since a IIT quality higher education institution – NISER – has been established in Orissa, it is not possible to establish an IIT in that state." He continues on to say that, " NISER and IIT have the same admission process that happens at the same time. Since NISER will fulfill the need for an IIT one should not put much weight on the demand for an IIT."
The above logic is absolutely ridiculous and filled with falsehoods and contradicts with MHRD actions with respect to other states.
1. NISER and IITs have different admission process and they have no connection with each other. NISER uses the NEST test (http://www.iopb.res.in/niser/admission.php ) conducted by DAE while IITs have their own JEE. The secretary may be confusing NISER with IISER which do take some students from the IIT JEE merit list.
2. NISER will not fulfill the need for an IIT. Currently, NISER only offers M.Sc degrees in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Some day in the future it may offer a few technology degrees. However, it will not be soon, as having full-fledged engineering degrees will defeat the purpose of NISER, as
students when given a choice between Science and Engineering disciplines in the same institute will prefer engineering, and as a result the NISER science departments, the reason de etre for the establishment of NISER, will not get good students. In this regard it may be noted that Science is second class in the
IITs where students prefer engineering over Science courses. Most students who get into sciences into IITs are the ones who can not get into any engineering disciplines.
Note that IISc, where both engineering and science are flourishing is different because it does not offer undergraduate degrees in science so there is no competition between student choosing between science and engineering after +2.
3. Even if NISER abandons its reason-de-etre and decides to expand into engineering aggressively, the infrastructure, especially the 300 acres allocated to NISER will not allow that. Note that the IITs in Patna and Hyderabad will have 500 acres land.
4. The engineering and technology disciplines will not be established in NISER that quickly, and because of the break-neck industrial progress happening in Orissa, it needs a top notch engineering and technological institute like an IIT "yesterday."
5. Finally the following actions contradict the assertion that Orissa will not get an IIT because it has a NISER
(a) Maharastra was given a IISER even though it has an IIT. (Both are funded by MHRD.)
(b) West Bengal was given an IISER and an IIT like institute (IIEST) eventhough it has an IIT. (All are funded by MHRD and the IISER and the IIEST will be in the Kolkata area.)
(c) Andhra Pradesh was given an IIT and two IIESTs. (All are funded by MHRD.)
(d) Kerala was given an IISER, an IIEST and an IIST (Indian Institute of Space Technology); the first two funded by MHRD, while the last one is funded by Ministry of Science and Technology.
So why is that when it comes to Orissa, when Orissa is now at the bottom of per-capita MHRD funding on higher education institutions, NISER counts against Orissa. This is despite that Orissa needs to bridge the largest gap in higher education enrollment, from 6.1% to the targeted 15%.
Is it because the above four have UPA allied governments while Orissa does not?
Also, earlier it has been remarked in the Parliament by an UPA minister that Orissa has this and that institute (such as Inst of Physics etc.). Yes, but other states have more of such institutes. See the list we compiled at http://iit.orissalinks.com/vol1/state_wise_national_lab.pdf.
So why does it count against Orissa getting an IIT, and does not count against the other states.
Is not this blatant discrimination against Orissa?
Is not such discrimination in the past a main reason why Orissa is now at the bottom of higher education enrollment and many other parameters?
Is that what the government of India wants? And in this information age of news media and Internet will the people of Orissa stand-by and just meekly accept this blatant discrimination?
(Acknowledgment: The Samaja article was brought to my notice by Prof. R. Nayak. My greatest appreciation to him for his concerns.)
This is really crazy and ridiculous. Only for Orissa, all these arguments are made; West Bengal can have an IIT, an IIESR and an IIT like institution (IIEST) all funded by MHRD; the later two in the same city Kolkata; Maharastra can have both IITs and IISERs funded by MHRD; Andhra Pradesh can have an IIT and two IIESTs (one IIT and one IIEST in the same city) funded by MHRD, Kerala can be given an MHRD funded IISER and a Ministry of Sc & Tech funded IIST (Indian Inst of Space Technology); but when it comes to Orissa it can not have an IIT because it is having NISER. (The later is funded by DAE while IITs are funded by MHRD. )
People and representatives of Orissa should not take this lying down. They must take this opportunity to explain GOI how such arguments are used against Orissa to harm Orissa and stunt its progress.
Watch out for further reactions to this apparent trial balloon floated by MHRD. They floated many such trial balloons when we were demanding NIS and they were countered by the people and representatives of Orissa. The same needs to be done urgently.
If everything goes according to the plan, the Orange City would soon have a full-fledged biotechnology university funded by Central Government. Chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has already forwarded the proposal to Union HRD Ministry for consideration.
Speaking to TOI, Deshmukh said the proposal was sent under central government’s scheme, wherein they had invited bids for setting up institutions of higher learning in all the states.
“We have submitted a couple of proposals under the scheme. These include establishing a university of space science technology in Mumbai and a biotechnology university in Nagpur among others. If materialised, both these varsities would confirm the state’s premier position in India with respect to higher education. The state government is giving utmost importance to spreading higher and technical education in the state,” he affirmed.
Deshmukh added that actual dates can’t be confirmed since the proposals would first be scrutinised by the HRD ministry as well as the Department of Science and Technology (DST). Thereon it will be forwarded to the respective authorities.
“These universities would be set up and funded entirely by the Central government. We will only provide land and other necessary facilities. But the institutions would be solely managed by the Union departments,” he added.
Chairman of National Knowledge Commission Sam Pitroda today lent his support to Orissa’s hope for an Indian Institute of Technology, saying the state “deserved” one.
Orissa-born Pitroda, who ushered the telecom revolution in India in the eighties, today joined chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s long-standing demand, and said: “It’s high time. But, I am not the right person to comment on this matter. The HRD ministry should take a decision.”
Pitroda had come to Orissa to discuss the recommendations of the NKC, an advisory body to the Prime Minister on matters of higher education, with chief secretary T.K. Tripathy. Pitroda’s support went down well with Naveen, who has time and again reiterated his demand , but has been “refused” by the HRD ministry.
… Last year the Union HRD ministry decided to set up IITs in Bihar and Rajasthan and IISERs in Pune and Calcutta. The decision angered Orissa, which doesn’t have a single centre of excellence.
Non-resident Oriyas have been petitioning and writing to the ministry to set up an IIT in Orissa. While organisations have launched agitation against the Congress-led UPA and staged demonstrations before the Parliament over the issue.
Naveen has written several letters to Singh protesting the Centre’s decision of ignoring Orissa’s claim. The BJD-BJP MPs from Orissa had also staged a dharna before Parliament last week to protest against the Centre’s “step-motherly attitude”.
The need for expansion as we do not have enough schools/colleges and varsities, providing quality education and ensuring equity as well as access are the three major challenges said Mr Sam Pitroda, chairman National Knowledge Commission. Talking to reporters he said the 11th Plan does make a substantial commitment to education and states must be ready to avail the funds that will flow.
He said Orissa was the first state he was visiting to interact with officials vis-à-vis the Knowledge Commission’s activities and recommendations. "I will visit a few other states like Rajasthan, Dellhi, Andhra Pradesh before we prepare a document on what states need to do," he remarked. He emphasised on vocational training and making students employable. He suggested setting up of a advisory committee of eminent citizens at the state level, a working group headed by the chief secretary and small groups to deal with each of the aspects involving education.
Mr Pitroda shared the view if more IITs were to come up in the country, Orissa should get one.
… On mushrooming private colleges which lacked trained faculty as well as infrastructure, he said it was a demand-supply problem. Suddenly the demand for education increased substantially and there was a short supply of institutions and hence people stepped in to fill up this gap. In the process institutions of low standards had come up everywhere.
To be a ‘good university’ is a decent and honourable thing, but no ‘good’ university these days can feel entirely comfortable, since we are not now judged solely on our local or even national contribution, but our international standing.
The competition to be ranked among the world’s top universities is increasing, with much jostling for position on international league tables. According to the latest Shanghai Jiao Tong University Ranking, the US dominates with 37 of its universities in the top 50. Arguably this is starting to change. China, for example, is investing heavily in its universities, but there is still a long way to go before any find themselves in the top 50.
… But what makes a university world class? As international competition for students and academics increases, this question is very much on the front burner for university leaders. Many people talk about ‘world class’ universities, but what the term means is often left hovering in the air, undefined.
In my view, four factors make a university world class. First, it must show a commitment to breadth and excellence in all fields of human inquiry, not simply in a particular niche. Uniform excellence across all fields is an ideal that no university achieves in practice, but it is a fine ambition. One senses that universal, high ambition in great universities, coupled with real excellence in most fields, most of the time.
Second, world class universities engage in cutting-edge research whilst at the same time teaching the next generation, their students. Teaching and research are intrinsically bound together, with top researchers inspiring and mentoring their students. In turn, students themselves inspire and challenge their teachers.
Much of the talk about world class universities centres around the production of exciting discoveries and universities’ contribution to the economy and to human enrichment through the development of cultural knowledge. But every bit as important as these is the role of universities as educators. World class universities produce students who will go on to be leaders in all walks of life.
Third, great universities must allow their researchers the freedom to experiment, succeed, and sometimes fail. They must be able to make grand mistakes as well as grand discoveries. It is often through making those mistakes that the grand discoveries are made.
This implies a degree of inefficiency, but it is a necessary inefficiency and a corollary of greatness. A university operating with a completely utilitarian mindset will forego the opportunities that a more open-ended system allows.
Finally, world class universities have permeable boundaries. This means encouraging interdisciplinary research and teaching; it means working with the private sector, for example, fostering and encouraging partnerships with industry; and it means encouraging international collaboration.
World class universities look outward, and think beyond conventional boundaries today, we educate students more and more of whom will go on to live and work in a range of cultures. We must equip them for this life, partly by what we teach them, partly by what other experiences we offer them, who they meet as students and the composition of the study body. …
Orissa is yet to send the proposal for setting up a World Class University (WCU) in the state.
Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) has written to State Government to send a Detailed Proposal for a WCU in Orissa.
MHRD wrote the letter sequel to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s historic initiative on higher education includes 14 world class central universities each with an approximate initial budget of Rs. 1000 crores.
Besides traditional disciplines, these universities are supposed to have a medical school, an engineering school, a business school and a law school.
Currently India does not have any such world class university, and the central government, serious about the "world class" label wants these universities in locations that will create synergies.
Various news items have mentioned proximity to research labs such as CSIR labs as one of the qualifying locational attributes.
Orissa, at 6.1 per cent is at the bottom of the higher education enrollment among all major states, and needs to cover the biggest gap to make it to the 11th plan target of 15 per cent.
Moreover, Orissa is the 9th largest state of the country in terms of area and 11th largest in terms of population.
It also does not have any existing central universities.
Thus one would expect that Orissa would be in the front of the line making its case for one of these world class universities.
Unfortunately that is not the case.
Even after receiving communication from MHRD on this count Orissa has not yet responded, admited a senior official.
It would be a shame if Orissa loses out on this because of not making a proper and timely case, lamented an educationist.
Insiders say that the BJD-BJP Government is doing this deliberately so that when Orissa does not get one of these world class universities, than the government will again accuse the UPA Government of neglecting the state.
It is true that in recent past the UPA Government has created havoc by taking away a previously announced IIT from Orissa.
But in this particular case, the PM himself has stated categorically that there will be a competition between states in making decisions regarding the locations of the world class universities.
So if Orissa does not even send a timely proposal how can we blame the UPA government for Orissa not being given one of the WCU.
Chandrasekhar Sahu, Minister of State, Rural Development has written to MHRD about Orissa getting one of the WCU.
But one wonders if this will turn out like the NIFT (National Institute of Fashion Technology) case.
Mr. Sahu was promised consideration for a NIFT by the Union Textiles Minister Sankar Sinh Vaghela, but the whole state was embarrassed in the Parliament when it was stated in a reply that Orissa government has never submitted a request for a NIFT.
In case of NIFT, Bihar took the lead in sending a proposal and snatched it from Orissa.
If Orissa loses out in getting one of the 14 world class university because of the current government’s laziness or because of its devious strategy to win elections at the cost of harming Orissa so that it can blame the Center, the people of Orissa will never forgive this Government, feel educationists.
Tathya.in reports that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has again highlighted the need of establishing IIT, IIM, and IIIT in Orissa while addressing the 54th National Development Council meeting. Following is an excerpt.
Naveen Patnaik has set the target of growth at 9 per cent during next five years.
Addressing the 54th meeting of the National Development Council (NDC) here on 19 December, Chief Minister of Orissa announced that the 11th five year plan for Orissa has an outlay of Rs.32,225 crore and targeted 9 per cent growth for the plan period.
…
Establishment of prestigious Central institutions like IIT, IIM and IIIT in Orissa to meet growing needs of skilled manpower for upcoming industries, was highlighted in his speech.
The Sahara Samaya reports on the Prime Minister’s address at the National Development Council meeting. Following is an excerpt.
Observing that education is the "most favoured sector", the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh today said the outlay on education will be up from 7.68 per cent of the Central Gross Budgetary Support in the 10th Plan to over 19 per cent in the 11th Plan.
In fact, education is the most favoured sector and the three fold increase in its share and a five fold increase in the actual outlays demonstrate the criticality of this sector in ensuring sustained inclusive growth in the future," he told the National Development Council (NDC) meeting to approve the XIth Five Year plan.
Singh said the country needed a greatly expanded supply of educated and skilled labour to support ambitious growth targets.
…
During the Plan period 6,000 model schools in all blocks, 30 new Central Universities, 370 new colleges in educationally backward districts, a Skill Development Mission to cater to one crore students per year and a huge expansion in the number of IIT, IIM, Indian Institutes of Information Technology, Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research are proposed, Singh said. "This is a decisive start to bridging the knowledge gap in our country,"he said.
Action Item: Readers concerned about this may write to the CM at cmo@ori.nic.in to take immediate action and copy to one of the journalists in Orissa (perhaps Braja babu of Tathya.in at brajakmishra@gmail.com)
Orissa this time also is all set to miss the bus for Higher Education.
While the Higher Education Program for the Eleventh Five Year Plan is being final touches, Orissa is in deep slumber.
And who will be able to wake up a sleeping state, which is at the lowest ebb of the investment plan of the Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD), asks educationists.
The Eleventh Plan is historical because investment in HRD sector will receive a big jump.
Just follow these numbers:
Currently there are 7 Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) s that was made over 60 years; there will 8 more during the 11th Plan.
There are 23 central universities made over 60 years; 30 more will be added during the Plan.
There are no world class universities in India and planners have decided to go for 14.
There are 6 Indian Institute of Management (IIM) s that was made over 60 years; there is a plan to establish 7 more.
There is a plan to set up Indian Institute of Public Health (IIPH).
Currently there is a single National Institute of Design that was made in 60 years since Independence; there is a plan to make 4 more during the Plan.
The 11th Plan’s stated goal is to take the higher education enrolment to 15 per cent.
Orissa’s higher education enrolment is at the bottom 6.1 per cent.
So Orissa must be working very hard to take advantage of the 11th plan.
Lo behold ! No home work in sight and this time also the state is going to loose heavily, feel the educationists.
Chitta Baral, Professor in Arizona State University is a worried person.
And Prof. Baral has every reason to worry.
We need a world class university and not a single soul has raised his voice for the same in the Government, lamented Prof.Baral.
This type of institution will have a budget of Rs.1000 crore.
It would be again a pity, if the state is going to lose the same as there is opportunity to make a strong case.
It has the Ravenshaw University which without any affiliate colleges, matches the expected model of a world class university.
But will the State Government make such a case, asks Prof.Baral.
While Orissa is haunted by deaths due to cholera, it will be an appropriate place for setting up an Indian Institute of Public Health (IIPH)
Till date the State has made no efforts to get one of the proposed 5-7 IIPHs in Orissa.
So far Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) s are concerned Orissa has not done much beyond the Chief Minister sending a couple of half-baked and impolite letters to the Prime Minister.
On the other hand, many other states have sent more detailed proposals.
Take the case of KBK Central University, in the past Orissa has made a case regarding a Central University in KBK.
However, it has not followed up on it recently.
Is not it time the State Government to follow up on this and makes a case, by pointing to the central universities in the North East, asks he.
It is not too late for many of the above; otherwise Orissa will get the pea nuts and predictably complain about Central apathy against the state.
The 11th five year Plan document proposes an almost 10-fold increase in outlay for higher and technical education. The planners have set ambitious targets — to attract 15% students passing out of class XII (from the current 10%) into higher education by 2012 and 22% by 2017. The way to do this, they say, is to expand and upgrade on an unprecedented scale.
In the new Plan, there’s more of everything — 30 new central universities are to be set up, seven IITs and IIMs, 10 National Institute of Technology, five research institutes to be called Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research, 20 IIITs, two schools of architecture and 330 colleges in educationally backward districts. All this is in line with the PM’s announcement in his August 15 speech this year.
Infrastructure in existing universities and institutions is also in for major upgradation. Among the big beneficiaries of these special grants will be 17 yet-to-identified central universities which will get Rs 3,298 crore. Besides, 39 engineering institutes will receive a whopping Rs 6,749 crore, again for ramping up infrastructure. A good dose of funds has also been set aside for upgrading agriculture, management and medical institutions.
But this money comes with a plan. …
For instance, the document seeks to raise fees for higher education to up to 20% of operational costs, which is 5% at present. “Higher education is highly subsidized. The document seeks to reduce this subsidy to improve quality of education,” said Bhalchandra Mungekar, member Planning Commission.
Another proposal is to break up large affiliating varsities like Mumbai, Bangalore and Pune into more manageable units. The document says large universities are unsustainable. Osmania University has more than 900 affiliated colleges while Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore varsities have around 500. Some of these institutions conduct over 1,000 examinations annually. “These universities have ceased to be centres of higher education. They are becoming agencies for conducting examinations,” said Mungekar.
Not all experts share this view. Deepak Pental, V-C of Delhi University (which has 83 affiliated colleges), said, “I am not convinced that smaller universities are better managed. Most of the varsities in the country are smaller than DU, are they better managed? Yes, we definitely won’t like to have any more colleges, but proper way of reforms would be to invest in the existing universities and upgrade their infrastructure.”
V N R Pillai, V-C of IGNOU, central open university, endorses this view. “A sizeable amount of new allocations should be earmarked for improving existing facilities of 18,000 colleges and 400 universities. This should be the first priority of reforms,” he said.
Another target of reforms is the examination system. … The paper says annual examinations have become irrelevant for testing knowledge. It suggests replacing this with continuous assessment and evaluation. The document calls for implementing the semester system and continuous evaluation in all central universities from the coming academic year (2008). It also suggests introducing a credit system where students will also be allowed to appear for papers in other streams. UGC chairman, Sukhadeo Thorat said, UGC has set up a committee to devise an action plan for exam reform within one month.
The paper also expands on the growing trend of private universities coming up in the country. It says the government isn’t in a position to ensure growth levels of 15-20% in higher education. Private investment will therefore be encouraged through tax breaks and other incentives. It has also sought private participation in providing services in existing institutions.
NEW DELHI: With a thrust on improving the standard of higher education, government is working on a proposal to set up 14 ‘World Class Universities’ across the country at an early date.
A blueprint is being prepared by the Human Resources Development (HRD) Ministry and Planning Commission to set out the criteria for such universities, which will have a business management school, an engineering college, a medical college, a law college in a single campus.
The proposal is being pursued by the Prime Minister’s office which has asked the HRD Ministry and Planning Commission to expedite formulation of guidelines for such universities and give the final picture by the third week of this month.
… The HRD Ministry and Planning Commission have started working on these guidelines acting on the proposal of full Planning Commission meeting on education sector that held on September 13.
"We are working at a very fast pace on the guidelines because we have already been told once by the PMO that we are behind the schedule. So soon we will have the guidelines in place," said Mungekar, former Vice Chancellor of Mumbai University.
… Proposals for setting up the ‘World Class Universities’ will be invited from all the states and those meeting the criteria will benefit. This will, in effect, do away with allegations of discrimination by states.
"The rules are going to be very stringent. The states have to compete to get the world class university," Mungekar said while giving an outline of the regulations.
Besides reasonable rules like a big plot of a land for free in prime location, there would be other demanding criteria that the states will have to meet while competing for having such universities.
In the allotment of such centrally-funded universities, priority will be given to states which do not have central varsities at present.
Orissa must get ready to prepare and send a good proposal on this. After the criteria is announced there may not be much time to do this. So preparing for this beforehand is important.
Education is set to receive a Rs 2.85 lakh crore boost, with the Planning Commission increasing the allocation for the sector by a massive 19.9% in the 11th Five Year Plan.
The education budget has been classified into elementary, adult and secondary, and higher education. For elementary education, Rs 1.25 lakh crore is being earmarked, which is a major hike from the Rs 30,000 crore allocated in the last Plan.
Likewise, the share of adult and secondary education is being increased to Rs 6,000 crore and Rs 53,000 crore, respectively. As per the plan document, Rs 84,000 crore are being set aside for higher and technical education.
Planning Commission member, Bhalchandra Mungekar, said the increase in the budget for health and education is an attempt to achieve inclusive growth.
… "The most important issue is our agenda for reforms in higher education system, where we have asked for major structural changes," he said. "Major reforms are a must like introducing credit and semesters systems and exam reforms."
The Plan has set aside resources for a massive expansion of higher education. It seeks to establish 30 new central universities of which 16 are to be set up in areas which don’t have a central university. The rest 14 are to be model universities of world class infrastructure.
According to HRD ministry, each of these 14 universities would cost around Rs 1,000 crores. There are plans for seven more IITs, seven IIMs, 10 National Institute of Technology, five Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research, 20 IIITs and two schools of architecture. There will also be 330 new colleges in educationally backward districts.
The Planning Commission, according to highly-placed sources, says GDP allocation to education will increase from its from current 3.5 per cent to 5 per cent by the end of the 11th Plan. Around 19.7 per cent of the total plan resources would be set aside for education, according to the sources in the Commission.
The Plan outlay for the education sector as a whole will thus be over Rs 2,20,000 crore, five times more than what it was during the 10th Five-Year plan.
… The plan outlay on education has increased from Rs 151.20 crore in the 1st Five Year plan to Rs 43,825 crore in the 10th Five Year plan (2002-2007). The expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP also rose from 0.64 per cent in 1951-52 to 3.74 per cent in 2003-2004.
In fact, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in his independence day speech, had announced the setting up of eight new Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), seven Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and 30 central universities. The government is already working on which states will house these institutes of excellence.
"With increased funds, establishing these IITs and IIMs will not be an issue with the government. Besides, the government is also looking at public-private partnership to involve private parties in education," said a professor.
With less than 50 per cent of secondary school students in India continuing college education in any form, and almost two-thirds of Indian universities and 90 per cent of the colleges being rated as "below average" on quality parameters, the funds would be utilised to put in place a better system of education.
The Planning Commission is also targeting a gross enrollment ratio (GER) of 15 per cent by 2015. In the 10th Five-Year Plan, the GER was 10 per cent.
