Situated in natural environment near the world famous Hirakud dam project on river Mahanadi, the Sambalpur University campus which is also known as Jyoti Vhar is considered one of the ideally located educational institution of the country. Started in 1967 in a total 670 acres of land, the university is only institution of its kind to impart higher education to the aspirant students of tribal dominated western part of the state. With high quality of education and research works, the university has achieved many glories moments in the past. University has produced numerous scholars who achieved distinction in various fields working in various key posts both in Indian and abroad. But despite of the glories past, the University is presently struggling for its existence following various financial irregularities and misuse of funds in the name of privatization.
With in 15 km away from the district head quarter of Sambalpur, the university campus is surrounded with green forest but over the past the institution suffers student scarcity because of degradation of the facilities that are available for the students. Some departments including statistics and earth science are under the verge of closure because of student scarcity.
“In statistics and earth science we do not follow the rule of having aggregate mark of 50 percent as there is scarcity of students. We try to admit every one coming to take admission. Still we do not have adequate students in these two departments”, an official of the university said.
There are 5 boys’ hostels and 2 ladies hostels with 120 seats for each hostel which are quite inadequate to house all the aspirant students coming from outside area. They are forced to stay in rented house at Burla town. More over the existing facilities and amenities available in the hostels are slowly become poor because of the negligent attitude of university authority. “Facilities available in the hostels are not up to the mark. Time and again we face water scarcity because of faulty water supply system. The food served in the hostel is also not good. Mostly we depend on the food available outside. But there is no one to hear out complaint”, former leader and student of 4th semester Dibya Kishore Panda said.
University has a central library that remains opened from morning 8 am to evening 8 pm. But the library has huge quantity of books which are hardly come to the help of the students because the books are no way related to the courses imparted in the University. There is neither separate library for each department nor there is any reading room/ common room in the departments. Students are asked to take book from the central library incase of any reference. “We go to central library to find out a book incase of reference but it takes time to find out a particular book” a girl student of English department said.
On the other hand, allegation of various financial irregularities and misuse of funds during past few years has put a question mark on the sincerity of the university authority. Though the university authority denied the fact, it is the employee union which demanded a probe in to the alleged irregularities. Even the university has come under scan for showing favore to some private firms by allowing them to rob the university funds. “There are several allegations of financial irregularities and scams. We demanded a probe it to it. We do not want misuse of funds that are collected from the students”, a member of employee union of the university said.
According to him the University has allowed a private educational institute to open an English medium high school inside the campus by handing over land belongs to the University. It has decided to hand over the entire examination system to a private software company. “We apprehend a series of problem in examination system because of revealing of secrecy, once it is gone in a private firm’s hand, he said. But the controller of examination of Sambalpur University Manas Ranjan Pujari does not agree with it. ” we will never make any compromise with the secrecy of the examination”. He said.
On the other hand sources alleged that the University does not have approval of NICET even though technical courses are opened in the university in the name of self financial course. Recent the university has opened a centre in the name of Sambalpur University institute of information technology (SUIIT) converting the Hostel meant for female students of M.phil course, but for this University does not have the approval of the NICET.
Voice papule
Dibya Kishore Panda.
(Former secretary of the student union and fourth semester student)
“The hostel condition is not totally hygienic. Poor maintenance and negligent attitude of the university authority force the students to stay out side. The food is also not good. The authority is busy in privatization of the examination. But hardly takes interest in the improvement of the standard of education and hostel environment”
Manas Ranjan Pujari
(controller of examination and registrar (in charge) of Sambalpur University)
“There is nothing to be worried because the university is not going to hand over the examination system to the private firm at the cost of the secrecy. However it is premature to give any comment on it. We have formed a committee on it and decision will taken only after receiving the report of the committee”
(General Secretary of employee union of the University)
“There are allegations of financial irregularities and scam. We demanded a probe it to it. We do not want misuse of funds that are collected from the students. Both the vice-chancellor and registrar have gone to New Delhi in flight where they will hand over doctorate degree to IK Gujral as he did not come at the time of convocation. Is this not a misuse of fund”
Bhawani Sankar Hota,
(former MP and president of all India university employee union).
“You can not allow a private party to play with the future of thousands of students in the name of improvement of examination system. This is required thorough scrutiny and series of discussion before handing over it to a private party. But the way University authority has taken the matter hastily; I do not find any logic it, and it create doubt in the integrity”,
Articles on various topics related to the problems and development of western Orissa will be placed in the blogs. So watch this regularly and give your valuable comments.
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