Following is an excerpt from a report in Business Standard.
Sahyog Foundation, a city-based non-profit organization, would invest Rs 1100 crore in setting up a medicity spread over 300 acres at Jagatpur near Cuttack as well as a medical college and hospital at Keonjhar.
The amount will be raised by the foundation through a mix of debt and contributions from the promoters and Non-Resident Indians (NRIs).
The Keonjhar project which is being taken up on the public private partnership (PPP) mode at an investment of Rs 200 crore will have a medical college with an intake of 50 seats to begin with and a 300-bed hospital.
Debasis Sahoo, director, Sahyog Foundation said, “We will sign the MoU … with the Orissa government for setting up the medical college and hospital at Keonjhar by the end of this month. Apart from alloting 20 acres of land free of cost, the state government has also given us an incentive grant of Rs 10 crore for the project.”
Construction work on the proposed medical college and hospital at Keonjhar is set to take off in April this year and the first batch of students for the MBBS course will be admitted in 2011.
“While the hospital at Keonjhar will offer treatment in various super specialties, the focus will be on malaria ad tuberculosis. Seventy per cent of the beds in this hospital will be reserved for the BPL (Below Poverty Line) families.”
… The medical college and hospital at Keonjhar will offer direct employment opportunities to 3000 people.
For its Rs 900-crore medicity project at Jagatpur, Sahyog Foundation has started the process of land acquisition. The medicity project is expected to be operational by 2014.
Besides a 150-seater medical college and a 700-bed hospital, the medicity will have a homeopathic college, an Ayurvedic college and other public amenities like a shopping mall, gymnasium, swimming pool and food court.
… Apart from generating around 5000 direct jobs, the medicity will also create indirect employment for 150000 people.
Similar news was reported earlier (for example here) but the numbers in those early reports did not make sense.
Similarly there have been news reports (see here and here) about a US based group called Euthenic Group consortium that wants to set up a 1000 bed super speciality hospital in Orissa. However, after seeing the webpage of Euthenic Group (see http://euthenicgroup.com/) I don’t have a good feeling on this. Also I don’t understand what is meant when expressbuzz says the following:
After completion of the project, it will be handed over to the State Government. The hospital will be the property of the State Government.
It does not quite make financial sense that this group will make an hospital and then hand it over to the state government at the end of the completion of project. May be by "at the completion of project" they mean after a long long time; say 30 years.
February 18th, 2010
Author : Chitta Baral
Following is from the page http://www.northsouth.org/st/scholarships/scholarships.asp.
The North South Foundation provides scholarships to needy children who display academic excellence in India. The Foundation has distributed more than 2,000 scholarships to students who need financial support to pursue their quest for knowledge in engineering, medicine, polytechinc, science and other fields.
The scholarship is an annual award and not a one-time payment. The student is eligible for the scholarship until graduation as long as the high academic standards are maintained. The Foundation funds these scholarships by raising donations in the US. The local chapters located in various states in India do the commendable job of advertising to invite applications from students, screening these applications and selecting the most needy group of students who eventually become NSF scholarship recipients.
Currently there are nine chapters in the following cities: Bangalore, Bhavnagar, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jodhpur, Kolkata and Pune.
The contacts are given in the page http://www.northsouth.org/st/scholarships/contacts_india.asp. The Odisha related contacts are a s follows:
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February 16th, 2010
Author : Chitta Baral
Following is an excerpt from a report in Pioneer.
Prof. Amiya Kumar Pattanayak has been appointed as the new vice-chancellor of the Utkal University of Culture. …
Born in 1949, Prof Pattanayak started his academic journey in 1972. He holds a Ph.D in history and was professor in Berhampur University during 1994-2008. He was Registrar of Berhampur University, served as a warden, was also the Director of Distant Education Centre, Director of College Developmental Council and Director’s Women Studies Research Centre.
Prof Pattanayak has written six books, edited 12 books, has sixty-five research publications. 15 scholars have been awarded Ph.D under his guidance. Nine are continuing research under him at present. He has produced 37 M.Phil. scholars.
February 16th, 2010
Author : Chitta Baral
February 14th, 2010
Author : Chitta Baral
Thanks to Rahul Barik for the pointer. The Telgraph article is at http://telegraphindia.com/1100214/jsp/nation/story_12104169.jsp. Following is the graphics from that web site.
February 14th, 2010
Author : Chitta Baral
February 14th, 2010
Author : Chitta Baral
Following is from the page http://www.sristi.org/cms/en/innovation_club.
Innovation Clubs
To facilitate and diffuse the philosophy of Honey Bee, 21 numbers of Inno-clubs (Innovate Orissa Clubs) are working in the state. Each inno-club is a satellite of Ama AkhaPakha and ultimately a micro satellite of Honey Bee. Most of the members of these clubs are sons and daughters of farmers and some are unemployed youth. Besides, 3 women inno-clubs and 106 students inno -clubs are established.
Making of an e-group:
One e-group has been formed called akhapakha@yahoogroups.com to diffuse the philosophy of Honey bee to its readers.
Making Poetry for students:
Poetry does the trick for students. Small episodes of innovations/TK written in poetic form with illustrations have been prepared and hung in school notice boards/literature board. This has created tremendous effect on school children and has become one of the best way to diffuse philosophy of Honey bee to TINY TOTS.
Research Programmes:
Ama Akhapakha in collaboration with the Patho lab of Kalinga hospital, Bhubaneswar undertakes research programme on herbal drugs. One research programme for validation of a herbal drug against mastitis of cows prepared by SEVA, Madurai during year 2003-04 with microbial sensitivity tests and antibiogram study.
NIF Award:
Sri lingaraj Pradhan of Jakeikala village of Bonaigarh subdivision in Sundargarh district of Orissa is awrded a consolation prize under agricultural practice category in 3rd national competition.
AMA AKHAPAKHA- The Oriya version of Honey Bee
Publisher: Malabika Sahu, On behalf of Innovate Orissa Initiative , Bhubaneswar
Editor: Dr Balaram Sahu
Address: Keshari Enclave,Block-B,FlatNo-401
Nayapalli, Bhubaneswar-751012,Orissa
Email: balaram_sahu@hotmail.com , balaram.sahu@gmail.com , akhapakha@yahoogroups.com
Tel: 0674-2562516 (Ressi.) , 09437290258 (M)
Publication ofAma AkhaPakh:
The first issue of Ama AkhaPakha was published on 26th April of 2002.Now it has come out with 15 issues in the last 4 years(from2002 to2005) .The next issue of 2006 is in print.Each issue contains 30-40 pages.
Diffusion of Honey Bee philosophy:
Ama AkhaPakha, the quarterly Oriya version of Honey Bee, has been working for scouting ,documenting and diffusing the grass root innovations and traditional knowledge of Orissa. Besides it also regularly features Innovations and ITK of other states which are already published in Honey Bee magazine.
Subscribers of Ama AkhaPakha:
There are a total no of 800 copies printed in each issue. Out of these, 439 are paid subscribers, spread in all over Orissa. They are supplied with the magazine by post. Most of the subscribers are from rural Orissa.The noted subscribers are:
- District administration of Kondhmal for its 106 schools as essential study materials.
- Self Help Groups: 26.
- Nirantar Sikshya Kendra: 113.
- Jana Sikhya Kendra: 4.
- NGO: 10.
Number of Readers of Ama AkhaPakha:
There are approximately 10,000 readers of Ama AkhaPakha .Most of these readers are school students, farmers, women in SHG and Nirantar Sikshya Kendras.
Scouting and Documentation of grass root Innovations and ITK:
Up to the year2005
- Total No Of Entries sent to NIF- 1325
- Students innovations-25
- Other 600 nos are in process of documentation and are ready be sent by end of Dec/2005.
Editor of Orissalinks: I am planning to get in touch with the above people and find out more about their current activities.
I chanced upon the above through the following pages:
February 14th, 2010
Author : Chitta Baral
February 11th, 2010
Author : Chitta Baral
February 11th, 2010
Author : Chitta Baral
Update: As per another report in tathya.in the Odisha ST & SC development department plans to also support SC and ST students joining Sainik School. Another great move by the department and its visionary secretary Ashok Tripathy.
Following is an excerpt from a report in Pioneer.
… The Department of ST & SC Development has set in motion a pioneering proposal to help out the bright students of the ST and SC categories.
… it is proposed to select at least 100 students from the ST and SC communities strictly on merit to reimburse their entire expenditures for studying in the best schools of the State from Classes-I to XII, said an official.
There are a number of residential schools of international standard in the State. Leading the list are Sai International, KIIT International, DPS, Phulnakhara, DPS, Damanjodi, DPS, Angul, DAV Public School at Unit VIII, Bhubaneswar.
… The students selected for admission will be provided tool kits and proper baggage so that they will not feel inferior to their affluent classmates. They will be provided to-and-fro journey expenses from the schools to their native places during holidays.
It should be noted that the RTE bill and its draft rules requires something similar. But kudos are due to the Odisha SC & ST department and its secretary Ashok Tripathy for taking proactive steps and having it implemented early in Odisha.
February 11th, 2010
Author : Chitta Baral
Update: Following is from Samaja.
Following is from a report in Pioneer.
The State Government has decided to set up a technical university in Sambalpur. This university would be christened as Sambalpur University Institute of Information Technology. The State Government has provided Rs 10 crore for this institute.
The Pioneer news above is a bit inaccurate. As far as I know it will be a part of Sambalpur University. The idea was mooted by Sambalpur University VC (who was earlier a Computer Science professor at University of Hyderabad) Prof. Arun Pujari. I have seen part of the proposal. Prof. Pujari had a very good proposal. His proposal and persistent efforts to get it approved finally got enthusiastic support from the IT Secretary Mr. Pradipta Mahaptra, the RDC and the Additional Chief Secretary Mr. S. P. Nanda and higher education officials (HE Secretary Mr. M. Padhi and others) and ministry. Kudos to all of them.
With the establishment of this Odisha will soon have three IIIT type institutes in Bhubaneswar, Berhampur and Sambalpur.
Special thanks to Prof. Arun Pujari. He has several other innovative plans for Sambalpur University. He has also made some very good hires in the Science disciplines at Sambalpur University. If he continues at the current rate he will be remembered as one of the best VCs of Sambalpur University. Lets support his innovative initiatives with all our heart.
February 11th, 2010
Author : Chitta Baral
Update3: From Samaja – 10% seats will be reserved for students from Odisha.
Update2: From Dharitri
Update: Business Standard has more details on this. Following are some excerpts.
Speaking on the occasion, Patnaik said, … “IIPH, in consultation with the state government, will impart training programmes for enhancing the capacity of the public health functionaries across all levels. The institute will offer Post-Graduate diploma programmes in Public Health Management, Health Economics, Health Care Financing, Health Policy, Biostatistics and Data Management. In addition, IIPH will conduct two-year diploma course in Public Health and Masters in Public Health”, he added.
… Reddy, the PHFI president, said, “Once the IIPH campus is fully operational, it will offer training short-term training programmes to 500 people and long-term training to 300 others.
As per the IIPH web pages currently the following courses are offered by the existing IIPHs.
- Delhi: PG Diploma in (a) Clinical Research (b) Public Health Management and (c) Health Economics, Health Care Financing and Health Policy
- Hyderabad: PG Diploma in (a) Biostatistics and Data Management
- Gandhinagar: PG Diploma in (a) Public Health Management
Earlier when it was announced that PHFI centers will open in Bhubaneswar and Balasore it was not clear what kind of center it would be. (See also here and here.) Following is an excerpt from a PTI report that says an IIPH will start in Bhubaneswar this July.
Orissa will soon get an Indian Institute of Public Health (IIPH) here which will start functioning from July this year.
An MoU in this regard was signed between the state government and the New Delhi-based Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) for establishment of an IIPH here at an investment of Rs 140 crore.
"The institute will deal in education, training and research on prioritised health problems of the state," Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said while attending a function on the occasion.
While the state government had agreed to give 40 acres of land free of cost at Kumarbasta village near here to establish the IIPH, the PHFI would invest the money for the purpose, Patnaik said.
Considering the real need with respect to containing Cholera, Malaria and other diseases that frequently break out in the hinterlands the IIPH in Bhubaneswar must establish branches in the hinterlands of Odisha.
February 10th, 2010
Author : Chitta Baral
I stumbled across this institute in the web. Its home page is at http://euclidtmp.com/index.html. The teacher at this institute is Mr. S. B. Panigrahi. Although it seems to admit students that have done very well in their earlier exams, the overall result of the institute sounds very good.
As per the page http://euclidtmp.com/our-achievements.html over the period of 9 years from 2001 to 2009 this institute has created:
- More than 160 IITians
- More than 460 NITians
- More than 23 students qualifying in the entrance examination conducted by the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) which offers the world’s best undergraduate and one of the world’s best postgraduate courses in Statistics and Mathematics
- More than 55 students qualifying in the Regional Mathematics Olympiad which selects about 25 to 30 students from Orissa to represent the state in the Indian National Mathematics Olympiad (INMO)
- 3 students having qualified in the Indian National Mathematics Olympiad (INMO) which selects about 30 students from India to represent India internationally in the International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO)
Since this institute seems to only cover Maths, the above student must have had good background and/or good mentoring in Physics and Chemistry. Nevertheless, from the above results and the tributes paid by the EUCLID alumni this institute seems to be a good place in Bhubaneswar to get coached in Mathematics at the plus 2 level.
February 10th, 2010
Author : Chitta Baral
Some of the institutions that offer Bachelors and/or Masters programs related to Biotechnology in the Bhubaneswar area are:
All of the above, except perhaps BJB College, are also engaged in research in Biotechnology. Some of the other institutes that are engaged in Biotech research in the Bhubaneswar area are:
- Institute of Life Sciences (ILS)
- Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI)
- Central Institute of Fresh Water Aquaculture (CIFA)
- Regional Plant Resource Center (RPRC)
- Regional Medical Research Center (RMRC)
Some of the institutions in other parts of Odisha that offer programs and/or pursue research in Biotechnology are:
- NIT Rourkela
- Sambalpur University
- Berhampur University
- MITS Rayagada
February 9th, 2010
Author : Chitta Baral
February 8th, 2010
Author : Chitta Baral
Following is an excerpt from his speech transcript in Business Standard.
It is in this dreary world of higher education in India that we have shining examples, such as St Xavier’s College. It was founded by the Society of Jesus. Long before Shri Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Dr S Radhakrishnan, Dr Zakir Hussain, Dr Humayun Kabir and my good friend Shri Kapil Sibal, there was an intrepid soul named Fr H Depelchin. Along with six Belgian Jesuits, he arrived in Kolkata and founded the St Xavier’s College.
The college has been in the service of the nation for 150 years. Not only in Kolkata, but in many other parts of India, the Society of Jesus has rendered yeoman service to the cause of education. Its 153 high schools, 38 university colleges, 14 technical institutes and five business administration institutes teach, at any given time, over 230,000 students belonging to every section of the society. St Xavier’s alone has over 4,000 students.
Like every Jesuit educational institution, St Xavier’s College has an admission policy that is biased in favour of the poor, especially the socially and financially marginalised, and I commend the college on its sense of social responsibility. We are beholden to the Jesuits for the unwavering dedication, the sense of duty, and the strict discipline they bring to their work and to the institutions founded by them.
I passed through a Jesuit institution and I fondly remember the great teachers: Fr Murphy, Fr Sequira, Fr Coyle, Fr Lawrence Sundaram, Fr Amascua and Fr Yedanapally. It surprises me even today how so many of them could leave such an indelible impression in a period of barely one year.
We are still debating the norms and values that must prevail in an institution of higher learning, and especially the place of the non-government sector in providing higher education. I recognise and support the role of the private sector in higher education, but I am absolutely clear in my mind that the private sector in higher education ought not to mean private business in higher education. As far as I am aware, no great university in the world was established for the purpose of profit. I believe that some activities in a society must stand outside the world of profit and higher education, in my view, ranks first amongst such activities.
For over 150 years, the Society of Jesus has done just that in Kolkata, in Chennai and in many other towns and cities. For that and for many other blessings that they brought to India, we thank them and we salute them.
(Excerpts from Home Minister P Chidambaram’s valedictory address at St Xavier’s College (Autonomous) in Kolkata on January 17, 2010)
The above is very relevant to the proposal of a Xavier University in Odisha. The Odisha government should expedite that proposal.
February 7th, 2010
Author : Chitta Baral
There are 48 manuscript resource centres and 33 manuscript conservation centres in India. The list is given at http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=57547. The ones in Odisha are as follows:
Two manuscript resource centers:
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32
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Orissa State Museum Museum Building, BhubaneswarOrissa
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33
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Sanskrit Academy of Research for Advanced Society Through Vedic & Allied Tradition of India (SARASVATI),Sarasvati Vihar, Barpada, Bhadrak – 756 113 Orissa.
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Three manuscript conservation centers:
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INTACH ICI Orissa Art Conservation Centre, Orissa StateMuseum Premises Bhubaneswar – Orissa-751 014
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AITIHYA Plot No. 4/330, 1st Floor, Raghunathpur, P.O.Sisupala Gada (Near Gangua Bridge, Puri Road), Bhubaneswar-2 Orissa
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25
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Sambalpur University Library Sambalpur University Burla – 768001
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February 6th, 2010
Author : Chitta Baral
February 6th, 2010
Author : Chitta Baral
Following is an excerpt from a report in Expressbuzz.com.
Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh today said improvement of educational infrastructure in Kalahandi district can help minimise regional imbalance. He was speaking at the inaugural function of Golden Jubilee celebration of Government Autonomous College, Bhawanipatna, which kicked off today. …
Bhakta Charan Das, MP, said there is a need to create educational environment and infrastructure in the college. He raised the demand for setting up a university in Kalahandi.
Following is an excerpt from an appeal by NRO Madhusmita Panda. It appears in Orissadiary.com.
Despite being located in a backward and underdeveloped region, Government Autonomous College Bhawanipatna has established itself for maintaining high quality in education in this part of the state. Students of this College have been securing top ranks at the University level as well as state level in various fields of education. …
Being an autonomous college, this college has limited flexibility to introduce new courses on nursing, pharmacy, optometrist, agriculture, horticulture, banking and services, metal processing, information processing, computer science, medicine etc in the diploma, bachelor as well as postgraduate level course and carry out research work seriously to fulfill local demand.
A Unitary University, however, will give this institution independency to introduce new courses not only in the discipline mentioned above but also in the field of medicine, agriculture, technology etc based on local requirements. It will also improve the current deficiency in regular teaching positions and make the professor’s position non-transferable basis by directly encouraging research activities
… Based on location, available infrastructure, local & regional requirements, quality, and importantly merit Government Autonomous College Bhawanipatna deserves to be a Unitary University in the state.
February 2nd, 2010
Author : Chitta Baral
Following is an excerpt from a report in Telegraph.
Former National Knowledge Commission (NKC) chief Sam Pitroda has proposed a $500-million dedicated fund to attract select global academic and research pioneers to India as part of the education reforms.
Pitroda has written to the Prime Minister’s Office proposing a Global Professors’ Fund to lure some of the world’s best brains to teach and pursue research in India, The Telegraph has learnt. …
The proposal, if accepted, will be the first time that India will dedicate a part of its national budget specifically to attract handpicked foreign faculty and researchers. It is likely that the select few will be winners of Nobels, Fields Medals, or other teachers and researchers globally renowned for path-breaking work in their subjects. …
The sum of $500 million Pitroda has proposed amounts to around Rs 2,300 crore at current dollar-to-rupee conversion rates. The amount is greater than the Rs 2,005-crore budget for the 15 Indian Institutes of Technology in 2009-10. …
The human resource development ministry, as a part of a “brain gain” policy, … The policy is a key component of wide-ranging higher education reforms the UPA government has proposed in its second term. Many of the reforms, such as creating a single, overarching higher education regulator and expanding higher education by encouraging private and public-private investments, are outcomes of the NKC’s recommendations during the UPA’s first term.
But Pitroda’s proposal for a professors’ fund effectively argues that mere structural changes — such as amending laws or policies — may be inadequate in luring some of the world’s best faculty and researchers.
February 2nd, 2010
Author : Chitta Baral
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