BHUBANESWAR: Years after it was upgraded, the Khallikote Unitary University is facing an identity crisis.The academic experimentation the Higher Education department undertook with the university has left the University Grants Commission (UGC) confused of its status. And owing to it, the university is yet to get UGC recognition.
Although the unitary university submitted its papers to the UGC soon after it was formed in 2021 seeking recognition under section 2 (f) of the UGC Act, it has not been done so far. Recently, the UGC wrote to the university and Higher Education department seeking clarification on the university's status.
The erstwhile Khallikote Autonomous College was upgraded to Khallikote Cluster University, Khallikote Research Intensive University, Khallikote University and finally, Khallikote Unitary University, all in a matter of five years from 2015 to 2021. The UGC, though, continues to identify the institution as Khallikote University which ceased to exist in 2021.
Vice chancellor PK Mohanty said, in 2015 when the Ministry of Education granted a cluster university for Odisha, the department decided to alter the territorial jurisdiction of Berhampur University by excluding five colleges to establish Khallikote University. The university and the college operated from the same campus in Berhampur. “However, due to organisational issues, the Khallikote University (cluster) was shifted to a new campus at Kanisi while the autonomous college remained in its existing campus at Berhampur,” he said.
But the university could not function in the true spirit of a cluster and the department decided to re-affiliate the five colleges to Berhampur University and convert the Khallikote University into a research intensive university at Kanisi in 2020. But this too, could survive only for a year.
Since a second university in Ganjam district was much needed, the department decided to upgrade Khallikote Autonomous College to a unitary university in August 2021. “Since there were so many changes with one institution, the UGC officials while reviewing our application for recognition got confused with the university status,” said the vice chancellor.
Further, the unitary university does not yet find a place in the list of state universities on the UGC website which has led to students questioning its authenticity, he added.
After the Higher Education minister reviewed the situation earlier this week, the department on Thursday wrote to the UGC to clear the confusion and sought recognition for Khallikote Unitary University under section 2 (f) of UGC Act, 1956 and update the university name and its website address on the UGC website. Section 2(f) of UGC Act would make the university eligible for receiving central assistance (UGC grants).