The overall growth of higher education in THE KBK region has been below the expectation level since Independence. State Government has to take utmost care and sensitivity for educational growth in KBK region, which is lacking presently.
Although the State Government has addressed university requirement for many locations and regions of Odisha recently, similar need in KBK region has taken a back seat, said Digambara Patra, a leading NRO.
Prof Patra has pointed out that it has been more than five years since the Higher Education Task force recommended for independent State Universities in Bhawanipatna, Balangir and Jeypore.
The State Government has approved and established more than at least three universities by converting three autonomous colleges during past two years in Odisha, but the interest of KBK region in this regard hasbeen marginalized.
The Task Force has recommended the Government Autonomous College,
Bhawaniptana, to an affiliated university for Kalahandi and Nuapada region. In addition, the Sambalpur University had proposed a branch campus in Bhawanipatna to the UGC and a UGC team had inspected for this proposal, the fate of which is hanging.
In 2014-15, the Odisha Government had also recommended the Government Autonomous College, Bhawanipatna, to upgrade for a university under RUSA scheme of Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India.
Although, due to lack of sufficient number of lecturers and other infrastructure facilities this could not be materialized, for which the State Government is largely responsible, it did not hesitate to convert similar colleges in other localities to universities despite getting objections from MHRD for various other schemes.
This establishes lack of seriousness of the Government towards higher education development in KBK region. It seems the State Government is buying time to avoid political and regional blame game to establish universities in KBK region.
Incidentally, the Government Autonomous College, Bhawanipatna, was among the first three colleges in Odisha to receive Potential Centre of Excellence by UGC; other two colleges (GM College and Khallikote College) have already been made universities by the Government, whereas interest of the Government Autonomous College, Bhawaniptana is being continuously neglected.
It is also the first college in KBK region to get PCE recognition by UGC and surprisingly, this college is not in the list to convert it to a university and other colleges in KBK region have been given priority due to political reasons. Demand for conversion of this institution of learning into a regular university has been long standing since a decade.
Kalahandi and Nuapada region has more than two million population and deserves a State University. Economically, socially and politically, the region needs special consideration in development of higher education as it has a low GER.
It is high time immediate action was taken to upgrade the Government Autonomous College, Bhawaniptana, to an affiliated university for Kalahandi and Nuapada region, demanded Prof Patra.