Orissa not taking adavantage of the Ashram School scheme

Ashram Schools in tribal areas is another central govt. scheme. However, as the following PIB shows, Orissa has not been taking advantage of it in recent years. (Orissa did take advantage of it in the past.) Its not clear if this is because Orissa decided to focus more on the Ekalavya Vidyalayas as in case of the Ekalavya Vidyalayas the funding is 100% from the central govt. while in case of the Ashram Schools the funding is 50% central and 50% state. In any case, here is the recent PIB on Ashram Schools.

Ministry releases grants to the States for construction of Ashram School in  Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) Areas, boys and girls hostels and Post Matric Scholarship is a continuous process. The grant-in-aid is released only if the proposals are complete in all respects including availability of land free of cost, confirmation about availability of matching share in the State budget, Utilization Certificate for grants released in previous years and physical progress reports in respect of proposals sanctioned in previous years and the availability of funds.  This was stated by the Minister for Tribal Affairs, Shri P.R. Kyndiah in a reply to a question by Shri M.A.M. Ramswamy in Rajya Sabha today.

The scheme-wise and year-wise funds released to States/UTs including Karnataka during last three years are as follows:

Grant in aid released under the scheme of Ashram Schools in TSP Areas

S.No.	Name of State/UT	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07
		Amount	Amount	Amount
1.	Gujarat	86.49	200.00	156.52
2.	Madhya Pd.	300.00	200.00	624.01
3.	Karnataka	77.51	150.00	400.00
4.	Maharashtra	86.00	50.00	256.71
5.	Chattishgarh	0	0	112.76
	Total	550.00	600.00	1550.00

Grant released under the scheme of Boys/Girls Hostel to various State Govt. during the last three years.

(Rs. in lakh)

S. No.	Name of State/UT	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07
		Amount	Amount	Amount
1.	Andhra Pd.	0	0	120.00
2.	Gujarat	67.60	0	0
3.	Himachal Pd.	0	108.18	82.39
4.	Madhya Pd.	300.00	724.00	305.00
5.	Manipur	0	142.70	123.51
6.	Meghalaya	0	0	200.00
7.	Orissa	0	0	56.50
8.	Rajasthan	0	0	190.50
9.	West Bengal	0	6.71	0
10.	J & K	0	0	204.99
11.	Karnataka	120.00	86.00	170.79
12.	Maharashtra	242.04	194.46	0
13.	Nagaland	151.00	116.52	221.09
14.	IIT Delhi	234.88	64.21	440.91
15.	Jharkhand	98.86	0	250.16
16.	Chattishgarh	0	0	165.00
17.	Arunachal Pradesh	20.50	21.43	180.07
18.	Punjab University, Chandigarh	65.12	100.79	0
19.	Delhi University	0	0	100.00
	Total	1300.00	1565.00	2810.91

Add comment December 3rd, 2007

54 new residential schools in Adivasi areas: Samaja

Add comment December 1st, 2007

Analyzing the educational aspect of the PM’s independence day speech and its implication to Orissa

The PM’s independence day speech will be remembered for a long time for its groundbreaking educational steps. Here, we analyze them vis-a-vis Orissa.

• K-12
  • "We will support 6,000 new high quality schools — one in every block of the country"   [Orissa has 314 blocks. Currently the central govt has three kinds of schools: Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas and Ekalabya Vidyalayas. My guess is these will be Navodaya Vidyalayas. Until now, Navodaya Vidyalayas were being made one per district. Extending it to one per block will do wonders.]
• Higher education
  • "We will also ensure that adequate numbers of colleges are set up across the country, especially in districts where enrollment levels are low. We will help States set up colleges in 370 such districts."  [Orissa has 30 districts. As per the NSSO study of 2004-2005, Table 3.14.1 shows that in the 15-19 age group 29% people in Orissa are attending school/college and in the 20-24 age group this number for Orissa is 6.1%. (Both numbers are lowest among all but the small states/UTs of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu and Lakshadweep.) For the Scheduled Tribe population these numbers are 17.1% for the 15-19 age group and 4.1% for the 20-24 age group.]
  • "We will set up thirty new Central Universities. Every state that does not have a central university will now have one." [Orissa does not have one so it should get one. But considering that there are 23 other existing central universities, making it a total of 53 central universities, Orissa should get two.]
  • "we are setting up five new Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research" [The five IISERs are at Pune, Kolkata, Mohali, Bhopal, and Trivendrum. A NISER is being set up in Bhubaneswar.]
  • "eight new Indian Institutes of Technology" [Three of these IITs are announced to be in Bihar, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh. Orissa should get one of the other five IITs.]
  • "seven new Indian Institutes of Management" [Announcements have been made with respect to Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Shillong. If Orissa gets a new IIT then its chance of getting a new IIM this round is much less. Orissa should try though.]
  • "twenty new Indian Institutes of Information Technology." [There will be one in each main states, including Orissa, which does not have one. Existing ones are at Allahabad, Amethi, Jabalpur, and Gwalior and a new one is being established at Kanchipuram. ]
• Vocational Education
  • "We will soon launch a Mission on Vocational Education and Skill Development, through which we will open 1600 new industrial training institutes (ITIs) and polytechnics, 10,000 new vocational schools and 50,000 new Skill Development Centres."
  • "We will ensure that annually, over 100 lakh students get vocational training – which is a four-fold increase from today’s level."
• More scholarships
  • "We should seek not just functional literacy, but good quality education – education that is affordable, accessible, equitable – and available to every boy and girl who seeks to study. For the needy we will provide more scholarships."

5 comments August 16th, 2007

Rajya Sabha answer on central university in KBK

Newspost India reports on it. Following are some excerpts:

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.

Add comment August 13th, 2007

Vedanta being asked for an engineering college in Kalahandi: finally a sensible approach

Often various sundry organizations oppose various industries that are coming up just for the heck of it. A better approach would be to make sure the industry does not adversely affect them and then convince the industry to do positive things for the area. The later includes setting up of engineering colleges and necessary infrastructure like township, roads, parks, playgrounds, schools, medical facilities etc. Finally such an approach is being taken by the Koshali Ekta manch vis-a-vis Vedanta and Kalahandi. Despite the fact that Vedanta is in the process of making a world class university near Puri, they should listen to this demand, if only to give value to this general approach. Moreover, making an engineering college, of the kind made by most private trusts in Orissa, does not cost much. One can start it with an initial budget of 10 crores and then it can become self -sustaining through student fees. So Vedanta should seriously consider this. Also, people in other areas where industries are coming up, or have come up should take a similar approach. For example, the people in Paradip and Kujanga, rather than being hostile to POSCO should negotiate with POSCO to establish a medical college & hospital and a top-notch engineering college like POSTECH in Korea, that was established by POSCO. Same with respect to the Tatas in Kalinganagar; people in Kalinganagar should negotiate with the TATAs to establish an engineering college and a medical college in Kalinganagar. The Mittals should be asked for the same in Patana, Keonjhar area; RSP/SAIL should be asked for the same in Rourkela; MCL+NTPC should be asked for the same in Talcher area and NALCO for the same in Anugul and Damanjodi.

Following is an excerpt of a Pioneer report that triggered the above thoughts.

Bhawanipatna: A meeting of the Koshali Ekta Manch has decided that a memorandum would be submitted on August 24 to Vedanta Alumina limited in order to establish an engineering college in Kalahandi. …  Manch leaders Jagannath Mund, Govind Chandra Rath and Padma Kishore Pujari were present at the meeting.

1 comment August 13th, 2007

Mass movement in Malkangiri for a central tribal university in KBK

Odisha.com reports on this. Following is a picture from Kalinga Times.

Following is Lalit Patnaik’s report and pictures on it.

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

1 comment August 11th, 2007

Efforts on for more tribal hostels and Ekalavya Vidyalayas

Following are excerpts from a Pioneer report on this.

Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday met the Union Minister for Tribal Affairs PR Kyndiah in New Delhi and urged him to sanction Rs 12 crore as central share on a priority basis for the establishment of tribal hostels in the State.

Kyndiah, while acknowledging the excellent performance of the State in setting up tribal hostels, assured that all possible help would be given by his Ministry for this purpose.

It may be noted that the State Government has given a proposal for sanction of 50 per cent share of under the centrally sponsored scheme for Girls hostels for scheduled tribes for 276 hostels last year.

Patnaik also held discussion about setting up more Ekalavya Model Residential Schools for Primitive Tribal Group regions and other tribal areas. …

Add comment August 8th, 2007

Vedanta International School in Lanjigarh

The Pioneer on Aug 1, 2007 reports,

Students of DAV Vedanta International School, Lanjigarh, Kalahandi, celebrated Vanamahotsav on Sunday. Their slogan for the people of the entire area was ‘Let’s make Lanjigarh greener’. A short cultural programme was presented by the students on the occasion. The speeches delivered by the students emphasised on the causes and consequences of deforestation and they exhorted the people to work for plantation and afforestation.  …

People from near and far gathered at VAL Township to participate in the programme. …

People of the locality pledged to take the cause further. They participated in the programme by planting saplings at the site along with the students, teachers, parents and VAL executives. Neem and Golmohar tree saplings were planted by all.

3 comments August 1st, 2007

Tathya writes on movement towards KBK Central University and Agami Orissa

Following are some excerpts from Tathya’s article.

Entire KBK districts are echoing with the demand for a Central University, thanks to the initiative of the intelligentsia of the area.

For last one week, concerned citizens of the KBK districts have been meeting at different forums, while raising their demand for a Central University.

Meetings were organized at Malkangiri, Nawrangpur, Jeypore, Koraput, Sunabeda, which culminated at Koraput on July 29.

The people’s representatives,intelectuals and a number of leaders assembled here to chalk out the future plan.

A well documented presentation … was discussed at length over the status of educational standard of the KBK districts vis-à-vis other parts of the state.

The organizers like Umi Daniel and Saroj Padhi presented the thorough researched document in a lucid manner, which has a long lasting impression on the participants of the workshop. …

Agriculturist Bibhu Mohanty of Jeypore, who improvised "Kala Jira Rice" at Kalahandi on behalf of Swaminathan group, highly appreciated the detailed study …

Lalit M Patnaik of Agamee Odisha harped on the improvement of the poor standards of higher education in the state.

Mr.Patnaik said that “they are not alone rather a large group of intellectuals inside the country and in abroad are behind the struggle to make Orissa the Major Destination of Higher Education”.

The meeting decided that crying over the poverty index is bringing shame to the state.

So the Infrastructure of Progress should be referred rather then the Poverty Index, which in itself is misleading about the progress of our State and it’s Districts.

By taking seven sub-sectors of the infrastructure such as transport, energy, irrigation, banking, communication, education and health, we can really compute the composite development index of infrastructure for different districts of Orissa, said speakers in the meeting.

Add comment July 31st, 2007

Vikram Dev School of Art to be made a degree college

Daily Pioneer reports on this. Following are some excerpts.

The State Government is working on a proposal to upgrade the six-decade-old Vikram Dev School of Art and Craft at Jeypore as a degree college from the current academic session. From now on, the school will be known as Vikram Dev College of Art and Craft, sources in the Culture Department said…

Culture Secretary Gopinath Mohanty set up a committee comprising Orissa Lalit Kala Akadami secretary Chandramani Biwal, Utkal University of Culture’s officer on special duty Bhawani Charan Biswal and BK College of Art and Craft (BKAC) principal AC Sahoo, to have an on-the-spot assessment of the situation. …

It has recommended introduction of Bachelor’s Degree programme in visual art under the Utkal University of Culture from the current academic year.

The students, who pass out of the institution, would be directly admitted to degree courses while those who were intermediates would be considered for admission after an aptitude test, the committee has observed.

… the students of the Vikram Dev College should be provided stipend, it has suggested.

The committee has advised the faculty members of the institution to run Government-affiliated Sunday Art Schools at Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur and Jeypore immediately to prepare the students of the KBK region for admission in the institution.

It has also recommended posting of an experienced lecturer of the Government College of Art and Craft of Khallikote as the principal of the proposed degree college to look after teaching and administration in an effective manner. …

The abandoned office of the Irrigation Department in Jeypore town could be allotted to the institution till a permanent campus comes up, the committee has stated.

1 comment July 28th, 2007

How are Ekalavya Vidyalayas doing? Some reports from Samaja.

Add comment July 25th, 2007

Archery training schools in KBK districts

Samaja reports on Orissa government plans to establish several archery training schools in KBK districts of Orissa. Following is the report. 

Add comment July 23rd, 2007

Meeting in support of KBK Central University called in Malkangiri.

Odisha.com reports on this. Pioneer also reports on this and also on Agami Orissa’s plan for a meeting in Koraput. Following are some excerpts.

A meeting to chalk out the future course of action on demand of a KBK Central University was held at Malkanagiri. Local MLA Nimain Sarkar was the convener at the meeting, … Over 100 persons of the district, including senior citizens, intellectuals, educationists, journalists and representatives of civil society organisations attended the meeting.

A committee, KBK Bikas Parishad, was formed after the meeting with an aim to look into the various developmental aspects of the most neglected undivided KBK districts. RK Patra was nominated as the convener of the committee while Durga Prasad Tripathy was chosen as the president.
Ratnakar Dash was nominated as the general secretary of the committee. Deputy Speaker of the Assembly Prahallad Dora and MLA Nimain Sarkar were chosen as the advisers of the committee.

The committee alleged that the Central Government cheated the people of tribal KBK districts on many occasions. While it was decided to set up a KBK Central University at Koraput, it is now mysteriously shifted to another State by the order of the Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh, the members of the committee alleged. Reiterating the demand for KBK Central University, the members warned of an intense mass movement throughout the State. However, the foundation of the movement will be laid on July 29 at Koraput meeting, which is going to be organised by Agami Orissa.

Add comment July 23rd, 2007

Samaja: BJD Parliamentary party asks for KBK Adivasi Central University

Add comment July 16th, 2007

Lalit Patnaik’s message on Agamee odisha meeting about KBK University

Dear Friends,

To day, a meeting was convened by Agamee Odisha in Jaydev Bhawan about “KBK University and related railways and other Development of KBK Districts. The Dias was empty of any chair except the banner for KBK University. People went from the assembly spoke and came back. A very new concept by our President.

The meeting was opened by the address of our President Shree DK Ray, Ex Chairman OERC and Income Tax Commissioner, who welcomed one and all with warm hands. Dr Kasturi Mohapatra, VP of National Child Health Care Foundation, deliberated about Mission & Vision of Agamee Odisha.

Continue Reading Add comment July 11th, 2007

Agami Odisha plans a convention on the KBK Central University issue on July 8th

Agami Odisha plans a convention on the KBK Central University issue on July 8th at the Jayadev Bhavan in Bhubaneswar. Following is an appeal by its president:

We appeal to all to attend the Convention in Jayadev Bhavan on 8th July for displaying our commitment , mobilising support and for chalking out a road map for an effective democratic movement spread over KBK region, other district towns in the state and to rest not till we obtain positive response from the central and the state government to our demand.

A contact address the appeal provides is: Shri Dilip on mobile 9861240228.

Add comment July 4th, 2007

Sambada: BJD MP Braja Tripathy writes to PM on KBK Central University

Add comment June 22nd, 2007

New Indian Express: Our government will fight for central varsity – Naveen

Add comment June 20th, 2007

Dharitri Editorial: Kendrara ghaitapania (Spousal abuse by center)

Add comment June 20th, 2007

Statesman: Naveen’s missive on varsity in KBK region

1 comment June 20th, 2007