Post News Network
Berhampur, July 10: Much to the joy of people living in the tribal-dominated southern Orissa, the second campus of Berhampur University (BU), which will be a satellite campus, will be opened in Rayagada soon. A proposal in this regard was passed at the university’s syndicate meeting recently.
Rayagada Government Women’s College has been selected as the venue for the satellite campus. A two-member committee formed by the syndicate will visit the college to review the infrastructure. A final decision on the BU campus will be taken after the committee submits its report.
Currently, students of Ganjam, Gajapati, Koraput, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri, Kandhamal and Boudh districts are depended on the BU for higher education. A total of 11 government colleges, 62 private colleges and 26 technical institutions are covered by the university. Arts, science, law, education, medicine, engineering, homeopathy, Ayurveda, nursing, military science, library science and painting are taught in these colleges affiliated to BU.
That apart, students have been enrolling their names in 20 post-graduation and M Phil courses on the BU campus. The PG and M Phil courses include mass communication, tourism and hospitality and computer science. Students also get opportunity to pursue PhD and D Lit courses under the university that was inaugurated in Silk City January 2, 1976.
Despite having these facilities, the lone campus failed to cater to the needs of all the eight southern Orissa districts due to lack of proper communication facility and infrastructure. To open a second campus of the BU has been a long-standing demand of the people of southern Orissa. Initially, Rayagada Autonomous College was selected as the venue to open the campus. However, later Government Women’s college was selected for the purpose.
The two-member committee, which includes university registrar Prof AK Mohanty and chief of the department of commerce PC Mishra, will visit the college by July end. After reviewing the infrastructure in the college, it would submit a report to the syndicate. The final decision would be taken in the next syndicate meeting, after which, process to set up the campus would start, said Prof Mohanty. There is all possibility that the satellite campus would become functional from the next academic year. The students can pursue higher studies in Rayagada instead of coming to BU, added Prof Mohanty.
