BHUBANESWAR: In 1999 when the Odisha government established the Utkal University of Culture (UUC) in Bhubaneswar, it aimed at initiating education and research in various spheres of Odia culture. But two decades down the line, the university stands nowhere close to its mission.
Governed by the Culture department, UUC has been bogged down by academic delays, examination hassles and faculty crunch.
The UGC has recognised the university under 2(F) but not 12(B) of the UGC Act, 1956. As per UGC (Mandatory Assessment and Accreditation of Higher Educational Institutions) Regulation, 2012, financial assistance for research and infrastructure development under 12(B) is given to only those institutions which have undergone NAAC assessment and accreditation. Besides, the institution is required to have its own land.
The permanent campus of the university at Madanpur, on the outskirts of the state capital, is spread over 45 acres of land provided by the state government. However, the university is yet to get the record of rights for the land.
“We have approached the Revenue department, Khurda collector and other officials concerned to give us the rights of at least 10 to 15 acre of the land which will suffice in meeting the land criteria for 12 (B) status,” an official said.
Another roadblock in getting NAAC and 12 (B) is the lack of faculty. UGC mandates the university to have at least 25 permanent teachers. Till August this year, UUC was functioning with just seven regular and 22 guest faculty. Only recently, six regular teachers were appointed for four departments - one associate and one assistant professor each for Odissi Vocal and Sculpture departments and one assistant professor each for Linguistics and Culture Studies. Sources said this is also the reason there has been no enrolment of PhD scholars for the last seven years. The university has produced just 68 PhD scholars in the last 24 years.
Along with its PG and PhD programmes, the university is responsible for implementing a uniform academic calendar and conducting examinations on time at all its affiliated colleges. However, students of affiliated colleges have accused the institution of delaying their semester examinations. UUC has also been accused of violating UGC norms of incorporating security features in the provisional certificates.
Vice-chancellor Prasan Kumar Swain and controller of examinations Dharanidhar Rana said they are working on streamlining the academic and examination system in the university and affiliated colleges on a priority basis.
The bottlenecks