First Cluster University Announced for Odisha

For upgrading Khallikote Autonomous College to the first cluster university of the state the process has been set in motion by the Odisha government.

The higher education minister Pradeep Kumar Panigrahi said that they have identified around 20 acre more land for the university, to look after the implementation an officer on special duty will be appointed. They are also trying to solve other bottlenecks so that it can start functioning from the coming academic year i.e., 2015-16.

Under the Rastriya Uchachatara Shikshya Abhiyan (RUSA) the college with 137 years of history would be upgraded as a cluster university announced the government.

Centre has already approved the proposal. At least 40 acre land is required for the university. Khallikote College has over 20-acre land of its own already. Remaining 20 acre of land near Palur hill has also been identified by the district administration, at the distance of about 20 KM.

Initially, the government has decided to include four nearby colleges — Binayak Acharya College, SBR women’s college, Berhampur, Science College, Chhatrapur and Gopalpur College — in the cluster university. But now, they have added four more colleges — Berhampur City College, Ambapua, K M Science College, Narendrapur, R N Degree College, Dura and Mahamayee Mahila Mahavidyalaya, Berhampur to the cluster university. The lead college in the cluster will be Khallikote College. It will also prepare the course of studies and will conduct the examinations.

Academicians have expressed doubts on whether the cluster university can function from next session, since; next academic session is barely two months away.