Students of College of Agriculture, Bhawanipatna in Kalahandi, Odisha, staged a dharna protest on Friday, August 26, regarding the discontinuation of scholarships and other facilities after the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) de-affiliated their institution recently, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.
It was the allegation of the protesting students that due to the de-affiliation, they will not get scholarships from ICAR anymore. Apart from funding from ICAR, the college will also be deprived of different facilities.
Subrajit Sadangi, a student, said the reason behind the de-recognition has not been informed to the college which was established under the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar. The State government and OUAT (Odisha University of Agriculture & Technology) authorities should intervene in the matter and take steps to restore the ICAR affiliation at the earliest, he said.
As per sources, in the first year, at least 109 students are now enrolled; 98 and 62 in the second and third years respectively. After completion of the fourth year, 73 students passed out from college. Since the college was set up in 2009, eight batches of students have passed out.
Initially, the college had an intake capacity of 60 students which was later increased to 120. Currently, the college has a dean-cum-professor, four associate professors and 13 assistant professors. As many as four posts of assistant professors are vacant.
Dean of the college SK Tripathy said ICAR is yet to communicate the reason behind de-affiliating the institution. "After we know the reason, we will comply with all the guidelines of ICAR. OUAT authorities are working to address the issue and I hope the matter will be resolved soon," Tripathy added.
Notably, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had attended a conclave on the agriculture college campus in 2019 and announced to open PG courses in five subjects. However, the plan is yet to materialise.
