BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Government has submitted fresh proposals to the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) on the Community College scheme.
After seven community colleges were sanctioned for the State two years back, the MHRD decided to roll back the scheme last month due to delay on the part of the colleges concerned and the Department of Higher Education (DHE).
Sources said though the department had planned to begin enrolment in these colleges in the current academic session, there was no system in place in any of the seven colleges for successful implementation of the scheme, which requires a separate syllabus.
Sources in the department said the revised proposals on details about Board of Studies and Management to be implemented in these colleges was submitted to the University Grants Commission (UGC) this week. If approved, the seven community colleges will start admitting students by the end of this month and classes would begin next month.
Of 200 community colleges planned in the country by the MHRD during 12th Five Year Plan, the UGC had sanctioned seven for Odisha. Last year, the MHRD asked State Governments to identify 80 colleges under the UGC and 20 polytechnics under the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to set up 100 community colleges in the first phase.
Accordingly, the Odisha Government identified Government Autonomous College, Bhawanipatna; Maharaja Purna Chandra College, Baripada; Dharanidhar Autonomous College, Keonjhar; Fakir Mohan Autonomous College, Balasore; Khallikote Autonomous College, Ganjam; Government Autonomous College, Rourkela and Vikram Dev College, Jeypore for the purpose.
Subsequently, the MHRD released `17.5 lakh each for the autonomous colleges in Berhampur, Kalahandi, Keonjhar, Balasore and Baripada to start the course, while funds for Government Autonomous College in Rourkela and Vikram Dev College at Jeypore are yet to be released.
Sources said delay in setting up Board of Studies and Board of Management for community colleges by principals of the parent colleges was the primary reason behind UGC decision.
UGC’s expert committee, which reviewed the progress made by these colleges in implementation of the scheme in June and July, found that the institutions failed to meet the criteria as they had neither constituted the Board of Studies and Board of Management nor selected a project implementing agency.
The department, on the other hand, clarified that Phailin and the Model Code of Conduct for General Elections delayed the preparatory work for implementation of the scheme.