Sambada has translated the article posted earlier and has published it in their Editorial page (pdf). (Thanks to Sambada editors and staff for the translation.) The original article in English is also available in word and pdf. Tathya.in also published it in English with some editorial changes. http://iitorissa.org
April 26th, 2007 Author : Chitta Baral
Pragativadi reports on Infocity 2 that is being planned between Bhubaneswar and Khurda close to NH 5. Close to that area are several exisiting and some upcoming engineering colleges. The existing ones include GITA, CV Raman and MIET. Among the upcoming ones is the Bhubaneswar Institute of Technology proposed to be established by a group of NRIs that includes reputed US based computer science professors Rabi Mahapatra, Laxmi Bhuyan and Prasant Mohapatra.
In 5-10 years or may be sooner the area around Infocity 2 could become like the hot area around Infocity 1 which has also many engineering colleges such as KIIT, KISD, CEB, Silicon,Trident and CIPET. However, the colleges around Infocity 1 are more close to each other than the ones around the proposed Infocity 2.
1 comment April 26th, 2007 Author : Chitta Baral
Samaja reports that the Orissa government has handed over 25 acres of land to Balaji Trust for establishing a private medical college in Balangir. Earlier the Orissa government had signed an mou with them.
April 26th, 2007 Author : Chitta Baral
Today’s Samaja has an editorial page article on OUAT accomplishments.
April 26th, 2007 Author : Chitta Baral
NISER now has a new and more professional looking web page. Its ad for admission appears in Samaja. Its website also has the application form and information brochure.
3 comments April 26th, 2007 Author : Chitta Baral
Dharitri (in Oriya) and Pragativadi (in English) report that IIIT Bhubaneswar will start classes with 60 students from September this year.
April 26th, 2007 Author : Chitta Baral
Today’s New Indian Express and Samaja report that the higher education department has proposed setting up of an education city around Naraj. As we wrote earlier several universities are coming up in this area. This includes a university by Sri Sri Ravishankar’s Art of Living, Ravenshaw university’s second campus and proposed National Law Institute. The higher education department has identified additional available land in the area and according to the above reports it is recommending that the government reserve this land for additional higher education institutions.
1 comment April 26th, 2007 Author : Chitta Baral
Yesterday’s Dahritri has a column by senior columnist Barendra Kumar Dhal [1,2,3,4,5,6] where he lists the various initiatives and projects taken up during Biju Patnaik’s government of 1961-67. I am amazed by the list which includes many HRD institutions. Here are some of the highlights.
Other References: Ganjam District site,wikipedia,Orissa govt. e-magazine, another.
3 comments April 24th, 2007 Author : Chitta Baral
I came across the websites of Fakirmohan University (FMU) in Balasore and North Orissa University (NOU) in Baripada. Both universities seem to have progressed a lot since they were made in 1999. They have taken slightly different paths though. While FMU has focussed on departments that are more in demand with respect to the job market, NOU has been a bit more traditional.
Continue Reading 1 comment April 23rd, 2007 Author : Chitta Baral
Update: Telegraph also reports on this.
Business Standard reports that XIM, Bhubaneswar is about to open another campus in Orissa. XIM is scouting for 100 acres of land and has a budget of 50 crores for the second campus. It has applied to AICTE for doubling its capacity. There is no definite word regarding where the second campus will be, but there were some early rumors that it could be near Dhenkanal. If it indeed opens near Dhenkanal, then it will be a big addition to Dhenkanal’s higher education offerings. Currently, Dhenkanal has the branch campus of Indian Institute of Mass Communication. With an XIM campus it will get into the national consciousness as both XIM and IIMC admit students through national level entrance examinations.
2 comments April 23rd, 2007 Author : Chitta Baral
1. Why this FAQ?
When one brings up the topic of establishing an IIT in Orissa MHRD officials, ministers and spokesperson, and even many technical education committee members sometimes retort back: “Why does it matter where an IIT is located as students from any where in India, including from Orissa, can study in an IIT.”
Until recently, I thought it was just some thing said and not really meant by the MHRD officials or the technical education committee members. However, a recent exchange of emails with one of the most well respected technologists of India, Mr. K, makes it clear that many influential people in decision making roles sincerely believe that it does not matter where an IIT is located as students from any where in India can study in an IIT. This misconception needs to be cleared up, as otherwise, as we argue below, it will further worsen the existing inequities in India.
Many in Orissa also question why one should focus on getting an IIT to Orissa when there are several other pressing issues in Orissa. In this FAQ we try to address these and related questions.
Continue Reading 4 comments April 22nd, 2007 Author : Chitta Baral
Sambada reports that 48 acres has been allocated to the Utkal University of Culture. This land is near Madanpur village in the upper right edge of the Knowledge park close to the GITA and CV Raman engineering colleges.
April 21st, 2007 Author : Chitta Baral
Sambada (in Oriya) reports on the planning going on to make secondary education universal. At the central level this is supposed to be a goal in the 11th plan. At the state level plans are afoot to open high schools in 900+ panchayats that do not have them.
April 21st, 2007 Author : Chitta Baral
SIS (Security and Intelligent Services), a private company, will open its 5th academy (after Dehradun, Gurgaon, Garwa and Bangalore) near Cuttack in Chouduar at a cost of 5 crores. For that it is reported (in Samaja – Oriya) to have acquired 10,000 acres of land. It is reported that it will train 3000 secrurity personnels every year, out of which 80% will be from Orissa. I wonder if the 10,000 acres number is a typo. If it is not a typo, its kind of puzzling that lots of people are opposed to the Vedanta University, to be made with an investment of 15,000 crores, which asked for 8000 acres to educate 100,000 students and employ 20,000 faculty and staff, while not a peep has been heard about the 10,000 acres for SIS.
1 comment April 21st, 2007 Author : Chitta Baral
Dahritri reports [1,2] that Ravenshaw will be reorganized to eight schools:
Each of these schools will have a dean. In the coming year Ravenshaw will introduce Masters programs in (i) Biotechnology (ii) Foreign languages (iii) Business and industrial management (iv) Performing arts and (v) Geology. It will switch to the semester system at the Bachelors and Masters level.
April 20th, 2007 Author : Chitta Baral
Ravenshaw vice chanceelor Devdas Chhotray has acted very fast on the news regarding the 1 lakh/yr scholarships for integrated M.Sc students. He has announced that Ravenshaw will start five year integrated M.Sc program from July 2007. This is reported in Sambada.
13 comments April 19th, 2007 Author : Chitta Baral
