Panel for Plus II, III Bifurcation

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government on Monday formed a committee to finalise the modalities for bifurcation of Plus Two and Plus Three colleges.

At a meeting held here, the Government formed the panel comprising officials of Higher Education, School and Mass Education and Law Departments to look into the issue. The Director of State Council of Educational Research and Training is the chairman of the panel.

Higher Education Minister Paradeep Panigrahy said another meeting will be held in the second week of the month where the modalities for bifurcation would be finalised. The bifurcation process will be implemented in the 2016-17 academic session. While Plus Two would come under the School and Mass Education Department, Plus Three will continue to remain under the Higher Education Department.

There are 255 composite colleges (having both Plus Two and Plus Three), which will be bifurcated. There are 51 Government Plus Two colleges and 46 Plus Three colleges of which nine junior colleges are functioning on separate campus. The State Government is now losing `150 crore annually due to non-separation of Plus Two from Plus Three. The junior colleges are eligible for grants only after their bifurcation from degree colleges.

Even as the Department had planned to separate Plus Two from Plus Three in 2011 following a report by the Higher Education Task Force, it could not be implemented due to large scale vacancy in faculty positions. Last year, the Department had formed a committee to look into the modalities for the bifurcation process.

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