Odisha government allows opening of new colleges in agriculture by private institutions
In a first, the Odisha government has allowed the opening of new colleges in agriculture and allied subjects by private educational institutions.
The State has four government colleges offering agriculture education at Bhubaneswar, Chipilima and Bhawanipatna under the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT).
This apart, seven other government colleges on veterinary science and animal husbandry, forestry, community science, basic science and humanities, horticulture and fisheries affiliated to the university are located in Bhubaneswar, Chipilima and Rangeilunda.
While not a single private college has got affiliation from OUAT, four deemed universities - SOA, KIIT, Centurion and Sri Sri - have opened four colleges that are privately managed.
With agriculture becoming more complex due to the impact of climate change and global trade policies, the State government has turned its focus on strengthening the higher education in agriculture and allied subjects so that the students can have more study options as per the present requirements.
Principal Secretary of Agriculture and Farmers' Empowerment department Saurabh Garg said gone are the days when agriculture was a traditional practice. Now it is technology-driven and needs to be qualified and trained human resources, he said.
"We have decided to strengthen the OUAT and allow private institutions to open colleges that can impart quality education on agriculture allied subjects. We have issued guidelines for opening the new private colleges and framed a procedure to obtain a no-objection certificate from the Government," he told TNIE.
The private institutions intending to establish a new college in BSc (Hons) Agriculture and allied subjects will have to apply to the Department of Agriculture and Farmers' Empowerment (DA&FE) or Fisheries and Animal Resources Development (FARD) department, as per requirement, with self-declaration and certification. They will have to provide geo-tagged photographs for the infrastructure and self-undertaking for manpower.
"The colleges will be affiliated to a university. The NOC will be granted based on self-declaration. However, the DA&FE or FARD may direct for an inspection on case to case basis," Garg added.
Any private educational institutions seeking permission/recognition/affiliation for the opening of new college on agriculture and allied subjects will be guided by the provisions of the Orissa Education Act, 1969 and Orissa Education (Establishment, Recognition and Management of Private Colleges) Rules, 1991.
