Orissa CM inaugurates IIIT

Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday inaugurated the newly constructed campus of International Institute of Information Technology  (IIIT) here. This In, which will help the state emerge as.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Patnaik said the institute, with its world class research and learning environment, would help Orissa emerge as major education destination in eastern India.

“My government has a vision of making Orissa a sanctuary of world class institutes of both learning and research. A number of engineering colleges, business schools, medical institutes, law schools and universities of national and international repute are operational in various parts of Orissa. The state government has adopted a two pronged strategy to position Orissa as a favoured destination for higher education in our country,” Mr Patnaik said.

To read full article click here

Panel endorses law to check malpractices in education

Despite repeated request by Union HRD minister Kapil Sibal to state ministers to speak on reforms being proposed by the Centre, ministers on Monday mostly raised trivial bilateral issues. Only ministers from West Bengal, Orissa, Kerala and Meghalaya spoke on the reforms being proposed by the Centre.

Therefore, when Sibal read out issues on which there was consensus, the ministers said nothing. An objection by the West Bengal minister about accreditation of colleges has been noted in the CABE resolution. Educationist Vinod Raina’s intervention that a CABE committee be formed to look into the policy for IT in schools was included in the resolution.

CABE approved ministry’s proposal for an autonomous overarching authority for higher education and research. A task force constituted to follow up on the proposed National Commission for Higher Education and Research would consult states. The advisory panel also endorsed the need for a law to prevent, prohibit and punish malpractices in higher education.

The proposal for brain gain policy was also approved and so was the policy on educational tribunals.

CABE endorsed the proposal to establish a Central Madrassa Board but felt there should be a greater representation of academics, especially women, and should ensure that non-theological education would be overseen by the Board.

Source: Times of India

Govt admits lacunae in higher education policy

Orissa does not have a higher education policy and over 95 per cent of the department’s annual budget is spent on salaries of teachers and other university and college staff. The state government, which admitted to these facts on Saturday, decided to set up a task force to deal with the problems in higher education and come up with a concrete roadmap.

“We want to revamp the higher education system and chalk out a five-year plan. We have asked vice-chancellors of all universities, technical and management institutes along with academicians for suggestions,” higher education minister Debi Prasad Mishra said. “We are also planning to come up with a deliverable framework for 2020.”

To read more click here