Orissa may get 3 more edu institutes

Busness Standard, June 25, 2007

The Central government is likely to establish at least three educational and professional institutes in southern Orissa as part of its 11th Plan agenda for education. While the first Central University is likely to be set up in Koraput, plans for an Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) and National Institute of Design (NID) in Berhampur are in the works.

The Center has decided to establish a Central University in each state and 19 IIITs across the country during the 11th Plan period. “Orissa should get these institutes during the 11th plan period and I suggested that these should be set up in Berhampur and Koraput,” said Chandra Sekhar Sahu, the union minister of state for rural development, adding: “When I gave these suggestions to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he warmed up to it and I hope these institutes will be established in the southern Orissa towns.”

Sahu also said he has discussed the possibility of a National Institute of Design (NID) and National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) being set up in Berhampur and Bhubaneswar. The recent discussions with the Union minister for commerce, Kamal Nath, and the minister for textiles, Shankarsingh Veghela, “were very positive and they assured us that they are willing to establish these institutes if the state government extended its cooperation,” said Sahu.

Another national institute – the National Institute of Handloom Technology (NIHT) – will be established at Bargarh, a town in western Orissa. While the Central University and IIIT are under the Ministry of Human Resources Development, the NID is under the Ministry of Commerce. NIFT and NIHT come under the Ministry of Textiles.

Meanwhile, the Berhampur University in south Orissa is planning to introduce a five-year integrated course in Masters of Computer

Application (MCA) and Master of Business Administration (MBA). Once it gets the green signal, the university will start the five-year integrated courses in these two subjects.

The matter was discussed in the syndicate meeting of the university held here recently and was referred to the Board of Studies of MCA and

MBA for consideration and recommendation. At present, the Berhampur University offers three-year MCA and Law courses, and a two-year degree in MBA.