Following is an excerpt from a report in Expressbuzz.com.
Currently, Orissa has 29 lead or Grade-I colleges where a professor-grade person will be the principal and for the degree colleges a reader-grade person has to become a principal, but despite assurances, the State Government is yet to come out with a complete list of eligible candidates. On the other hand, since 1998 no selection was made for lecturer posts of UGC-grade for the degree and lead colleges making the situation worse.
Currently, Orissa has 29 lead or Grade-I colleges where a professor-grade person will be the principal and for the degree colleges
a reader-grade person has to become a principal, but despite assurances, the State Government is yet to come out with a complete list of eligible candidates. On the other hand, since 1998 no selection was made for lecturer posts of UGC-grade for the degree and lead colleges making the situation worse.
… Contacted, Higher Education Secretary Madhusudan Padhi said as the `functional structure is based on a pyramidal concept’, there are many `issues’ to be addressed at grass-root level and the Department had already given a requisition to the Orissa Public Service Commission to recruit 2,800 junior lecturers at the earliest.
June 23rd, 2009
Author : Chitta Baral
Following is an excerpt from a report in Business standard:
The HRD Ministry has granted permission to IIT Kanpur to open an extension centre in Noida, work on which will start within a week. IIT Kanpur Registrar Sanjiv Kashalkar told PTI that the work will be completed by 2012. He said that a ‘distance learning centre’ will also be opened there.
Kashalkar said the centre will function on the lines of India International Centre with technocrats imparting technical education through conferences. It will also provide several short-term management courses and refresher courses meant for distance learning, he said.
The premier institute has been granted five acres of land in sector 62 of Noida.
June 23rd, 2009
Author : sanjib
Following is an excerpt from a report in Indiaeducationdiary.
The Chief Minister of Orissa, Shri. Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the new academic block of the Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar (XIMB) this morning. XIMB which has been consistently ranked as one of the finest business schools in India has achieved yet another milestone with this new infrastructural development keeping in mind the future demands of management education. …
Speaking to a gathering of more than 800 people, Shri.Patnaik felt that XIMB as an Institute has a lot to offer and congratulated the leadership at XIMB for ensuring continued success and development for the society through the social developmental activities carried out by XIMB.
This new academic block is a seven storied beautiful building and is adjacent to the Fortune Towers which houses major companies operating in Orissa. Standing tall along side the Fortune Towers, the XIMB’s new academic block also provides a glimpse of the changing industrial scenario of Orissa and points to the development that the state is making with regard to business education, commerce and industry. The new academic block has a built up area of 45,875 square feet and has been constructed at an estimated cost of 6.5 crores. It has 23 Faculty rooms, 6 lecture halls with a seating capacity for 60 students each, 4 lecture halls with a seating capacity for 70 students each and two lecture halls with a seating capacity for 120 students each. Besides these facilities, the new academic block also has a board room, a conference room and an examination hall with a seating capacity for 250 students. …
June 22nd, 2009
Author : Chitta Baral
Following is an excerpt from a report in TOI.
… The Delhi government is now working on starting a second wave of universities to cater to the burgeoning demand for bachelors education.
… In its blueprint, the city government has submitted to set up a university system for the capital, which also envisages to create multiple universities/campuses united by a common system of management and governance. New universities such as UST, University of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, National Law School University, University College of Medical Sciences, IIIT and Dr B R Ambedkar University would be brought under this system.
The blueprint submits that the proposal to set up a University of Undergraduate Education has been referred to the UGC and is under consideration. According to the report, though Delhi has five universities, these are inadequate. It further says such a university would increase students’ access to undergraduate education in Delhi. Moreover, the new university would draw the initiative of self-financed institution to set up a number of colleges in academic areas that have considerable market demand.
Similarly, the government claims that the setting up of UST would fill the gap in international quality science and technical education at undergraduate, postgraduate and research levels.
With an intention to promote pharma education, the government has also started work on setting up of University of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research. The report mentions setting up of Medication Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University under this new university that would be engaged in developing new drugs that are specific to India.
Moreover, to promote self-financing institutions and to accommodate them on one campus the Knowledge City would be developed on PPP model. In this case, department of higher education would provide the buildings on lease and infrastructure facilities to private colleges.
The report also maintains that the government has proposed to launch a Delhi Skills Mission to make a concerted and time-bound effort for skill development.
June 20th, 2009
Author : Chitta Baral
Following is an excerpt from his article in Telegraph.
Finally, of course, the HRD ministry must think in terms of a few grand projects which can become models to be emulated in the years to come. The possibility of creating five knowledge cities in different parts of the country in the next five years must be seriously examined. While those would need a private-public partnership, and even the creation of a special purpose vehicle, the HRD ministry could invite state governments to become partners and provide real incentives. Education and skill development, as the prime minister has repeatedly said, can be India’s global opportunity. The time has come now to translate that opportunity into reality, within the term of this government.
The author, a former vice-chancellor and member of the National Knowledge Commission, is professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Orissa should lobby hard for Bhubaneswar to be one of those cities. The pages http://iitbbsr.orissalinks.com/bbsr.htm and http://iitbbsr.orissalinks.com/future.htm have the arguments that the Orissa government can use.
June 20th, 2009
Author : Chitta Baral
Update: I am now told that the location is two km after CISF Mundali, towards Banki on the Cuttack-Banki road. The postal location is Mouza Banara, Tahasil Dumpada, District Cuttack. From Chandni Chowk, Cuttack it is 13 km. And from Oberoi Hotel, BBSR, it is 29 km.
It now has its own web page. The web page has some nice drawings and overview of the university. We copy them here.
Introduction
A unique University that will train highly qualified Spiritual and Yog teachers for spreading the true and ancient science of "Yog" around the world will be built in the state of Orissa. The project will be a part of a spiritual community that will include a Gurukul, a Yog & Naturopathy Health Care Center, a Yogashram, a Charitable Hospital, and Organic cultivation farms.
The proposed university will be developed at Banki, near Cuttack, Orissa, in multiple stages. In the first stage, 110 acres of land has been finalised, and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed by the Trust and the Government of Orissa.
Objectives of the Proposed University
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To Prepare Qualified teachers, who can then go to schools, colleges and industrial houses to teach the sciences of Spirituality, Yog and Mind management. At present, everyone realizes the imbalance in the education system, due to lack of spiritual education.
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Introduction of moral education in all educational institutions. The creation of a qualified class of spiritual teachers will enable the introduction of spiritual education in society.
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To give the spiritually-minded youth a chance to make a career in spirituality, by enabling them to earn a degree, and utilize it for teaching jobs.
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To enable character building through higher education.
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To reinforce ethics and morals so that the students may pass these on to the society at large.
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For the upliftment of the underprivileged segments of society, free education and financial support will be given to 25 percent students from such segments of society.
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The Proposed University will set a role model for the Universities of the country, in building the moral character of the people.
Courses Offered at the Proposed University
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Bachelors and Masters in Yogic Sciences.
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Bachelors and Masters in Vedic Sciences.
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Teachers, Professors and Principals re-orientation programmes, with special emphasis on Morals and Ethics.
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Bachelors and Masters in Naturopathy.
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Bachelors and Masters in Bhakti Yog, in accordance with the philosophy of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj.
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Research work – Doctorate – in Naturopathy, Vedic Sciences, Bhakti and Yogic Sciences.
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One year diploma courses in all the above.
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One month introductory courses in all the above.
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One month Yog instructors course.
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Karm-kand training courses for priests for temples in India and abroad.
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Orientation programmes for Doctors in Yog Therapy.
Secular Courses- The students will also get an opportunity to do non-spiritual courses that offer the maximum job opportunities in the modern world, such as Information Technology and Business Management. This will enable them to get excellent careers in secular fields, if they so desire.
Related Projects:
Yoga Therapy and Naturopathy Healthcare Centre. It will attract outdoor patients from nearby towns and also neighboring villages. Also, indoor patients desirous of benefiting from yog therapy.
Gurukul. Will train children from childhood in the life of purity, charity, austerity, and spiritual knowledge.
Yogashram. Yoga shibirs will be conducted for the general public, for members, and for industrial houses. Such shibirs will be of 3 days duration, one week duration, two weeks duration and four weeks duration.
Old-age home. Devotionally minded people, who are leading a retired life, will be invited to come and stay in a spiritual environment. They will also be given an opportunity to lend voluntary seva in the above projects, and will form the manpower base for the project.
Hospital. The villagers of the nearby Banara village have demanded a hospital for them. Such a hospital, equipped with modern facilities will be built, to provide medical aid to everyone residing within 10 kilometers of the ashram.
June 19th, 2009
Author : Chitta Baral
There is some progress in the IIIT front. Below is an excerpt from a Business Standard report. (In this regard, Orissa must insist that a new PPP based IIIT be established in Berhampur.)
… Nasscom has proposed that the IIITs be set up with an initial investment of Rs 30 crore, of which the government’s share should not exceed Rs 14.9 crore while the share of partnering companies should not be less than Rs 15.1 crore.
“A series of meetings have been held on the issue of finalising the PPP model for the IIITs. The final decision will be taken within a month’s time after which the institutes will be set up,” a senior HRD ministry official said.
Nasscom has also proposed that salary of faculty be linked to their output and the institutions have provisions of differential salary package.
As per the proposal, the IIITs will be autonomous degree awarding institutions. Each institute will have its own Board of Governors comprising 13 members, including one representative from the government.
The government will give a loan of Rs 100 crore to each institute with five years moratorium period and repayable within ten years time, Nasscom Vice-President Rajdeep Sehrawat said.
… As per the government’s plans, 20 new IIITs will be set up across the country in the Eleventh Plan period. Currently, there are four IIITs in the country. In north-eastern states and Jammu and Kashmir, where there are not enough industries, the government will bear the full establishment cost.
The IIIT, for which land will be provided by the states, will spread over 50 acres of area and have completely integrated campus with science and technology parks, he said.
Each institute will specialise on specific area of Information Technology. Each IIIT will be a centre of excellence in that domain. Nasscom has suggested that the institutes be set up in cities having modern amenities.
The IIITs will offer under-graduate, masters and PhD programmes. Each institute will have an intake capacity of about 1,000 students within a period of six to seven years of their functioning, he said.
June 19th, 2009
Author : Chitta Baral
Update2: Pioneer reports the Orissa health minister saying that the state has been extremely co-operative on AIIMS and the allegations of Mr. Azad is baseless. The good news is that there has been some progress in the ground and
- Out of the 14 blocks of the AIIMS, the roof works of eight blocks have already been completed.
- An alternative road has already been constructed for the Sijua village and 90 per cent work has already been completed.
- Steps have been taken to remove the high-voltage transmission line.
Following is from Samaja:
Update: TOI reports that Mr. Azad went to the AIIMS site and asked the project manager to work in three shifts and said that he will be monitoring the project every month. The first good news is that there is a project manager and some work is actually going on. 
The Central Cabinet minister of Health Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad is visiting Orissa. His answers on the lack of progress with respect to AIIMS-like institute in Bhubaneswar is shocking. This institute foundation stone was laid by then PM Vajapayee prior to 2004 during the NDA government. Since then many reports have been made and tenders have been floated which we have been tracking here. And now Mr. Azad comes and blames the state government to hide the incompetency of the central Minitry of Health in making any progress. Note that the issue of tardy or zero progress on the AIIMS has been raised multiple times earlier, including many times in the parliament and someone even made a high court case in Bihar and this is the first time the state government is being partially blamed.
This is terrible. Mr. Azad should not play politics on such an importance issue and make sure tha the AIIMS-like institute is constructed as soon as posisble. Following are excerpts from a report in Business Standard which gives indication regarding the politics being played by Mr. Azad.
”I will review the progress in all the new AIIMS projects, including the one proposed to be constructed in Bhubanewar, to ensure these are ready in about three years. I will also speak to the construction agency,” Azad said.
Claiming that the steps taken by the state government for the ambitious Rs 820 crore project were slow and sluggish, Azad added that though the detailed project report for the Orissa AIIMS was ready proper land demarcation was yet to be completed.
The state should take quick steps to remove the high power transmission line at the site along with unauthorised structures and a small village relocated, the minister said.
On its part, the Centre was taking steps to bring momentum to the project, Azad informed adding he had spoken to Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh about the need for clearance to about 90 acres of the proposed AIIMS site here.
”Since Orissa badly needs an AIIMS, we are taking all steps to ensure that the project becomes operational at the earliest,” he said.To improve the health care facilities in Orissa, both the Centre and the state government must initiate steps for early completion of AIIMS here, Azad said.
Following is my email to the PMO and Mr. Azad on this topic.
Dear Esteemed Prime Minister and Health Minister:
Please do not play politics on the AIIMS-like institute in Bhubaneswar.
The foundation stone of this institute in Bhubaneswar was laid in 2003. In between 5 years of UPA government rule has passed in Delhi and nothing visible (beyond a boundary wall) has happened.
For the last 5 years, people of Orissa, representatives of Orissa (both MLAs, MPs), and Orissa CM have raised this issue and of no avail. In response to various parliament questions your ministers have always given one excuse or other for the delay.
And now for the first time Mr. Azad comes to Bhubaneswar and lays blame on the state government. (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/centre-to-setnew-aiims-branches-in-three-years/64962/on ). This is playing politics on peoples lives and their health.
While the UPA government made a lot of progress on many fields (such as starting of classes on the new IITs, RTI, NREGS etc.) it has been grossly incompetent on the AIIMS issue.
To solve a problem, one must first admit that there is a problem. Please admit that your health ministry has been grossly incompetent and start over from there.
Please don’t play politics with people’s lives and their health. Please start the AIIMS-like institute in Bhubaneswar as soon as possible and to compensate for the delay as well as to take care of the backward areas of Orissa please immediately upgrade one of the exisiting medical college in the backward Western or Southern Orissa (one in Behampur or Burla) to the AIIMS level.
In West Bengal your are making a new AIIMS as well as upgrading Calcutta Medical College. In UP you will have a new AIIMS and are upgrading 3 medical colleges to AIIMS level.
In Mahasrashtra, Tamil Nadu, J&K and Andhra Pradesh you are upgrading two medical colleges to the AIIMS level. All these has been compiled from your web sites and PIBs and put together at http://www.orissalinks.com/archives/2111 .
Why not in Orissa? I sincerely hope that it is not because you had or have friendly governments in West Bengal, Mahasrashtra, Tamil Nadu, J&K and Andhra Pradesh and are eyeing UP and don’t really care about Orissa and its people?
Why do some other states get a new AIIMS as well as upgradation of multiple medical colleges to AIIMS level, and some get multiple upgradations to AIIMS level, while in Orissa no progress has happened for 5 years with respect to an announced AIIMS?
Sirs: Please pray tell us if this is not neglecting Orissa, what is?
Sirs: I again beg; Please do not play politics with people’s lives and health. Please expedite the establishment of AIIMS in Bhubaneswar and upgrade an exisiting medical college in the backward region of Orissa to the AIIMS level.
sincerely,
Chitta Baral
June 18th, 2009
Author : Chitta Baral
