Odisha govt starts process to appoint VCs in two new universities

BHUBANESWAR: The higher education department on Monday urged office of governor and chancellor of state universities Ganeshi Lal to take necessary steps for appointment of vice chancellors in Rajendra University Balangir and Kalahandi University Bhawanipatna.
The state government has recently decided to upgrade Government Autonomous College, Bhawanipatna, to a university in the name of Kalahandi University which will have affiliating jurisdiction over Kalahandi and Nuapada districts.Similarly, it has decided to upgrade Rajendra Autonomous College, Balangir, to Rajendra University which will have affiliating jurisdiction over Balangir and Subarnapur districts.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik has given his approval for this in September. Academic activities of the new universities will commence from June 1, 2020. “Therefore, appointment of vice chancellors by March 31, 2020, is essential for commencement of the academic activities in the new universities as per schedule,” said higher education department secretary Saswat Mishra in a letter to principal secretary to the governor.
The state government had given unitary university status to the Government Autonomous College, Bhawanipatna, on March 6 and Rajendra Autonomous College, Balangir, on March 2. Later these institutions were converted into affiliating universities.
Rajendra University will get 65 affiliated colleges of Balangir and Sonepur districts under its jurisdiction, while Kalahandi University will get 50 colleges of Kalahandi and Nuapada districts. These colleges are presently functioning under Sambalpur University.
After these 115 affiliated colleges come under the two universities, work pressure on Sambalpur University will be decreased. This step will help the university to manage its examinations and other educational activities smoothly.
In October, the higher education department had started the process of creating posts of vice chancellor, registrar, comptroller of finance and controller of examinations for the two universities by abolishing principal and vice-principal posts.
Rajendra Autonomous College, Balangir, was established in 1944, while Government Autonomous College, Bhawanipatna, was started in 1960.