The district administration has initiated a process for setting up of a model degree college in the district under Central scheme ‘Establishment of Model Degree Colleges in Educationally Backward Districts.’
The project cost is estimated Rs12 crore and in the first phase Rs2.5 crore has already been sanctioned.
District Collector Md Sadique Alam said, “We have already identified land for the college at Nuaguda in Nandahandi block and also discussed with the R&B Executive Engineer for tender process.”
Higher Education Secretary Gagan Dhal said in a letter that the Union Human Resource Development Ministry has provided funds for establishment of model degree colleges in low Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) districts to provide better education facility and ensure equality and access to the students of the locality. The unit cost for the development of infrastructure of the college is Rs12 crore. Out of which a sum of Rs2.5 crore will be initially placed with the R&B Executive Engineer for layout of the college.
Dhal has requested Collectors to ensure the tendering process for construction of building by September end. Also he has urged them to monitor the construction work regularly so that the colleges start functioning from the academic session, 2015-16.
Such colleges will also be set up in Boudh, Deogarh, Malkangiri, Nayagarh, Nuapada, Rayagada and Sonepur districts, said sources.
According to the UGC norms, the Centre will provide assistance to the extent of one-third of the capital cost for each college with the maximum margin being Rs2.67 crore. Also, the land for college will be provided free of cost by the State Government.
The model colleges are part of the Centre’s new scheme to provide assistance to set up a model degree college in each of the identified 374 educationally backward districts in the country where GER for higher education is less than the national average. The scheme aims at increasing the GER in educationally backward districts, where it is less than the national average of 12.4 per cent and subsequently to increase enrolment from 12.4 per cent to 30 per cent by 2020.
In June last year, the Department of Higher Education had placed a proposal before the UGC for opening model degree colleges in Boudh (having GER of 6.8 per cent), Deogarh (9.7 per cent), Malkangiri (3.9 per cent), Nayagarh (9.6 per cent), Nabarangapur (3.5 per cent), Nuapada (6.7 per cent), Rayagada (6.7 per cent) and Sonepur (10.5 per cent).