BHUBANESWAR: Amid the admission process for various professional institutions in 2026-27 academic session, the state government has sought a report from Odisha University of Technology and Research (OUTR), Bhubaneswar, over ‘closure’ of its BTech programme in fashion technology following a representation submitted by the programme’s alumni.
The Skill Development and Technical Education (SDTE) department has written to the registrar of OUTR on the basis of a letter it received from the Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts department. The university has been asked to furnish a detailed factual report on the matter for necessary action.
The report was sought after the alumni wrote to the secretaries of both the Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts and SDTE departments, questioning the decision to discontinue the programme. They argued that poor admissions were the result of administrative shortcomings rather than a lack of relevance or employment opportunities in the field.
The petition also stressed that fashion technology is an emerging discipline with strong career prospects in the textile, apparel, technical textiles, retail, merchandising and design sectors.
“With Odisha witnessing increasing investments in textile and apparel industries, discontinuing the programme runs contrary to the state’s industrial growth and skill development objectives,” the letter read.
The alumni also alleged that admissions were largely restricted to students from the science stream, thereby limiting the applicant pool despite the multidisciplinary nature of the course. They claimed that inadequate infrastructure, insufficient modern laboratories and equipment and a shortage of regular faculty adversely affected the programme’s quality and reputation.
Seeking an independent inquiry, the alumni urged the government to examine the reasons behind the declining admissions, assess the role of the university administration and determine whether all possible measures to revive the programme had been exhausted before deciding to shut it down.