BHUBANESWAR: Admisson to around 12 colleges under the Regional Directorate of Education, Bhubaneswar has been restricted for the new academic session of 2022-23 for non-submission of either temporary or permanent recognition certificate.
The colleges include Sanskrit degree colleges in Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Kendrapara and general colleges in Bhubaneswar, Khurda town, Dhenkanal and Jajpur. Regional Director of Education, Bhubaneswar, Sabita Harichandan said the high-power committee (HPC) of the Higher Education department reviewed the colleges and it came to fore that many of them have been running without recognition even after seven years of inception.
Each of the colleges have seat strength between 32 and 96 in all the three streams of Arts, Science and Commerce. Some of the colleges are Derabis Degree Women's College in Kendrapara, Times College of Science and Commerce in Khurda and Anchalika Mahavidyalaya in Dhenkanal.
Apart from not having recognition, the colleges do not have adequate faculty members.Besides, two of the colleges in Kendrapara offering science (32 seats) and commerce (96 seats) teaching had zero enrollment since the last two years.
As per the Orissa Education Act,1969, a higher education institution can operate with a temporary recognition for six years and in its seventh year it has to apply for a permanent recognition. If found operating without permanent recognition after seven years, the institution can face closure, derecognition or restriction in admission.
Approvals to colleges are subject to fulfillment of all conditions of recognition under the Orissa Education Act,1969 like availability of adequate faculty, laboratories, basic amenities for students, among other things.
For the 2021-22 academic session, nine degree colleges were either closed down or admission was restricted by the Higher Education department due to lack of infrastructure and faculty members. Most of these institutions were self-financing colleges.