A few days back, it was reported in the media that the State Government has decided to set up 15 more universities. But there is an urgent need for establishment of at least two universities, a Women’s University and a University of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry.
In this article, I would like to limit myself to the affairs of the Utkal University of Culture, which was established in 1999 by an Act of the State legislature. This university is the first of its kind in India, but due to utter neglect by the Government the university has stagnated. This university has been recognised by the University Grant Commission. Its objective is to provide opportunities for graduate, postgraduate, doctoral and postdoctoral education in various spheres of culture including languages, literature, visual arts, performing arts, architecture and folklore by instruction, training, research, development, extension and other means which the university may deem fit.
The University Act clearly mentions in seven sub-sections the objectives of the university. Four institutions, Bibhuti Kanungo College of Arts and Crafts; The College of Arts and Crafts, Khallikote; Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya and The Odishi Research Centre, Bhubaneswar; were affiliated to the Utkal University of Culture. Three affiliated colleges had postgraduate teaching departments in performing arts and visual arts. Five other PG teaching departments were started in 1999 - Culture Studies, South-Asian Studies, Socio-linguistics, Buddhist Studies, Tourism and Hospitality Services.
The university was inaugurated on January 4, 2000 by the then Governor MM Rajendran. The then Chief Minister Hemanand Biswal, his predecessor Dr Giridhar Gamang who was the driving force behind establishing the university and the then Minister of Tourism and Culture Prasad Harichandan were present at the inaugural function.
Unfortunately, from the very beginning, the university was given a step-motherly treatment by the State Government. The minimum teaching positions asked for by the university were not sanctioned. For five postgraduate departments, only four posts of lecturer were sanctioned, that too in the State Government scale. It is common knowledge that university teachers are required to teach postgraduate classes and the UGC scale has to be given to all the teachers. The posts of nonteaching staff were severely curtailed. Funds earmarked for the university in the State Budget were not released. The first statute of the university was submitted by the university in November 1999. The law Department vetted it on in April 2000 and referred to the Finance Department. The Finance Department kept it pending till the beginning of 2002, which created functional problems for the university.
The Finance Department even went to the extent of issuing an order prohibiting admission of students and continuance of teaching departments beyond 2001-2002. It is worth mentioning that the five PG courses started by the university do not exist in any other university of Odisha. The UGC guideline requires that for eligibility to UGC and Central Government financial assistance, the university should have minimum five PG departments. Despite all the impediments, the university organised three international seminars, the reports of which were published. The results of the first batch of PG students were published in time; the
examinations of the 15 affiliated colleges were conducted and their results published in time. Students from foreign countries took admission in the university. Prof GD Sumanpal of the Kelania University of Sri lanka came as a visiting professor.
In 2004, during the tenure of Narendra Kumar Mishra as the VC, the university advertised for filling up the teaching posts; interview was conducted; persons were selected, but again the Culture Department created hurdles. On October 12, 2004, the Culture Department issued orders to the VC "Since the matter is under examination, the appointment of teachers should not be made without prior approval of the Government." Therefore, the posts were not filled up. The Culture Department subsequently abolished the five teaching departments which existed from 1999.
To impress upon the UGC, the university played a fraudulent method by bringing the PG teaching department of performing arts and visual arts from their parent institutions Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya and BK College of Arts and Crafts and showed it as the PG teaching departments of the university. The culture university was not planned to be another Khairagad University, where only instruction is imparted in performing arts and visual arts. Courses like Culture Studies, Socio-linguistics which are not taught in other universities were started in this university after great deliberations with experts in the area keeping in view their importance to the society as well as job opportunities for the students opting for the subjects.
In Culture Studies, two-year PG courses were introduced for providing conceptual clarification of the loaded term 'culture'. The subject is fast gaining ground in different countries in the world. It seeks to acquaint the students with knowledge in the vast diversity of human culture in time and space and its multifarious ramifications in key issues such as development economics and identity. The emphasis is on a multidisciplinary approach in understanding culture, with special reference to Odishan and Indian Culture, Techno-Culture, Popular Culture, Global Culture and its impact on local culture. Due emphasis is given to philosophical, ethical and value-oriented approaches to the study of culture. The core objective is to inculcate in the minds of the present and the future generations a world perspective with a visible, perceptible local identity through comprehensive dissemination and arousing of cultural consciousness.
South-Asian Studies was introduced keeping in view a broad perspective. Emergence of regional identities to participate in the development process has become a global trend in the past few decades. South Asia is one such identity, which is politically endorsed by the SAARC. Among the few Indian universities which got the cue, the Utkal University of Culture is the first to introduce a comprehensive South Asia programme covering past and present with a stress on culture. Social linguistic was introduced as it has emerged as a powerful branch in social sciences. The study draws its methodology from disciplines like sociology, linguistic, literature, culture studies, etc. The university was the first to introduce such a course in the country. Prof Debi Prasanna Pattnaik, an internationally famous linguist, was associated to conduct the course programme and was appointed as Profession Emeritus in the university.
The Buddhist Studies programme was introduced keeping in view that from the time of Buddha Odisha played an important role in theory, practice and spread of Buddhism. To develop awareness about Buddhist heritage, it is necessary that students should have knowledge in Buddhist history, philosophy, literature, art and iconography. Hence, to promote understanding, study and research on Buddhism, intensive studies at the PG level on Buddhist Studies is highly essential and relevant in Odisha, a land of Buddhist philosophy, monuments and relics.
The Tourism and Hospitality Services, a self-financing course was started because this tourism sector is world's largest employer generating more than nearly 3 million jobs world over. Odisha has a place of pride for promotion of cultural tourism, ecotourism, ethnic tourism, etc. One of the objectives of the course was to provide qualitative inputs in the tourism sector.
A grant of Rs 50 lakh was given to the university to start a Jain Chair in the university. A retired professor was appointed for a brief period to conduct a short-term course, but it has discontinued from 2004. Rupees 10 lakh was donated by the Tamil Nadu Government for institution of a Tamil Chair.
Ambassador of China Zhou Gang came to know about the academic programme of the Utkal University of Culture, especially regarding Buddhist studies and discussed at length about teaching programmes of the university with the then Vice-Chancellor in August, 2000 in Bhubaneswar.
From the year 2005 till the appointment of the present VC Prof Debendra Nath Jena, there was little effort for activising the university and regularising the academic programme. Prof Jena, since the day of his joining, has initiated steps for streamlining the academic programmes.
He should ensure appointing qualified teachers on a regular basis to provide proper training to students. He is well-known as a visionary and for his dynamism. A ray of hope has been generated among the public that during Prof Jena's tenure this university, which was crippled by the conspiracy of two bureaucrats, will again move in the direction for which it was established.
(Dr Bimalendu Mohanty was
the first Vice-Chancellor of the
Utkal University of Culture)