Bhubaneswar: The state government is planning to adopt a uniform curriculum for degree courses in all state-run institutes to streamline the higher education system.
Briefing reporters about the performance of his department, here Thursday, Higher Education Minister Ananta Das said the government plans to adopt uniform curriculum so that examinations can be held simultaneously for all graduate courses.
“We have established modern degree colleges in Boudh, Deogarh, Malkanagiri, Nabarangapur, Nuapada (Khariar), Nayagarh, Rayagada and Sonepur districts with a capacity of 5,000 students. We are also planning to set up such colleges in aspirational districts this year,” Das said.
Besides, three colleges have been upgraded to model degree colleges-SCS College, Puri; KKS Women’s College, Balasore and Government College, Sundargarh, he added.
The government has also set up Human Resource Development Centres in Utkal University, Berhampur University, Sambalpur University, Fakir Mohan University and North Orissa University.
Speaking on recruitment, the minister said 1,625 lecturers have been appointed in different non-government-aided colleges of the state in the past year while 227 junior lecturers have been recruited for various government junior colleges.
He said his department is taking steps to fill up another 833 posts of junior lecturers and the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) has been requested to make selection for 513 posts in degree colleges. However, till now, 272 lecturers have joined. Besides, the government has approved an additional 320 teaching posts in degree colleges.
The Higher Education is also moving to establish central instrumentation centre at Utkal University for facilitating world class research.
Informing about the achievements of his other department, Industries, the minister said, “CM has expressed his satisfaction on the use of 3Ts – Technology, Teamwork and Transparency – framework by the department to transform the G2B interface under the GO SWIFT single window portal.”
The state has seen a significant rise in the number of manufacturing projects with approval given to more than 118 with employment potential of 1,28,572 in the past four years alone, he said, adding, the average time taken for approval of projects has been reduced to 20 days from the date of receipt of application.
“Our CM has advised us to put in place an action plan for downstream and ancillary units to achieve more than 50 per cent value addition to the primary metals produced in the state by the year 2030,” he added.
“The state has made significant strides in implementing the Ease of Doing Business Reforms, making it easy for companies to set up and operate in the state and the compliance percentage in terms of reforms implementation has gone up from 52.12 per cent in 2015 to 92.73 per cent in 2016 and 97.83 per cent in 2017,” Industries secretary Sanjeev Chopra said.
Govt to build 20 lakh pucca houses by Sept
Bhubaneswar: Inching a step forward in achieving its goal of houses for all by 2019, the state government has decided to complete 20 lakh pucca houses under various rural housing schemes by September, said Panchayati Raj Minister Pradeep Maharathy.
Briefing reporters about the achievements of his departments, Maharathy said since 2014-15, 17.10 lakh houses have been constructed in the state utilising `14,012 crore. “Target is to build 2 million houses by September end 2018. A digitised directory of beneficiaries constructing houses is under preparation which is likely to be completed by the end of July, 2018,” he said.
About 35 lakh households have been covered under Odisha Livelihoods Mission (OLM) by covering 3.20 lakh SHGs across the state while about 32,735 rural youths have been provided training against the target of 35,000 under DDU-GKY scheme, which is 94 per cent of the target, the minister pointed out.
Maharathy, who is also the agriculture minister, said, “In spite of drought, unseasonal rain and pest attack during 2017-18, the food grain production was moderately reduced to 85 lakh tonne. During 2018-19, it has been programmed to produce 122 lakh tonne food grains.”
Organic farming is being promoted in 520 clusters covering 16,000 acre through Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) in 10 districts of the state with a budget of `30.53 crore.
Odisha has also emerged as a leading supplier of mango graft in the country by enhancing production from 23.85 lakh to 54.56 lakh, he said, adding, “In last five years, 19 new cold stores with capacity 85,200 tonne have been established in the state.”
The total fish production in the state has reached 6.85 lakh tonne during 2017-18 from 4.41 lakh tonne in 2013-14 while the inland fish production has been increased to 4.54 lakh tonne in last year from 2.63 lakh tonne in 2013-14, the minister added.
