Naveen Patnaik approves 5T action plan for better access to Higher Education

With an aim to ensure better service delivery to the public in the Higher Education sector, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik approved 5T action plan for the Higher Education Department.

The 5Ts aim at achieving progress through Transparency, Teamwork, Technology, Time and Transformation. The action plan includes a number of new initiatives including the creation of a 'Mo College' platform in line with State Government's 'Mo School' campaign to allow alumni and other interested individuals contribute to the development of the college.

As per the action plan, the Department will also include a new provision of income criteria in the existing guidelines for distribution of laptops among meritorious students every year. This is to exclude students from well-to-do families availing the scheme's benefit. It will implement a uniform transfer policy for both the teaching and non-teaching staff of government-run higher educational institutions.

The Scholarship Guidelines will be changed and merit list prepared at district as well as block-level to ensure that all meritorious students from local areas get the benefit. A scholarship council will also be formed to maintain transparency in its distribution.

Meanwhile, the universities and colleges have been asked to excel in at least one or two subjects and work towards improving their ranking at the national level to attract more students from across the country and abroad.

The department will also work towards opening career counselling cells and strengthening those which have already been established.

Exposure visit of students and faculties outside the state plan is also in the pipeline. It will also take measures to train and enhance the skill of urban poor students, stated a letter issued by the High Education Department to schools across the State.

As part of the new Mantra of the CM, the Department will monitor attendance of faculties to ensure that they perform 7-hour duty every day. The minimum 75 per cent attendance of students will also be made compulsory for appearing exams from the next academic session.