In a step to increase facilitation in e-learning, the Odisha government has decided to initiate free Wi-Fi services in all state-run universities soon.
The Higher Education Minister Rohit Pujari declared this while speaking to media persons after a review meeting by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on the achievements of the Higher Education department during the last four years and the fulfilment of the assurances given in the election manifesto-2019 on Thursday, May 25.
What are the plans initiated?
The minister also added that all the state public universities have been made Wi-Fi enabled. The Electronics and Information Technology department is on the job to provide free 1 GB data to the students at the campuses of all public universities and colleges before the next academic session, according to an IANS report.
He also said that career counselling cells have been established in various colleges and universities to provide a platform for students to orient themselves in choosing their career plans and establish themselves firmly in the future.
Similarly, free civil service coaching along with lodging and boarding will be provided to 200 meritorious civil service aspirants across all categories, the minister informed.
He also stated that soft-skill training such as in spoken English is now being conducted through virtual tutorials. In addition to this, Eleven Centres of Excellence (CoE) are in operation across the state, he stated.
Pujari said steps are being taken to set up science degree colleges in educationally disadvantaged blocks, he informed.
To encourage students to do research, Chief Minister Research Incentivisation Fellowship Plan (CMRIFP) has been launched with a budgetary outlay of Rs 326 crore for five years from 2023-24, he said.
Big changes
It is worth noticing the state over a period of two decades has witnessed the number of students doubling from 3.2 lakh in 2,000 to 6.5 lakh in 2023, out of which 3.8 lakh are girl students. He also said the gross enrolment ratio has also increased from 11 to 21 in the same time period.
He pointed out that this development has only been possible since the government is now spending more by enhancing the budget provision from Rs 473 crore in 2000 to Rs 3,173 crore in 2023.
Towards infrastructure development of higher education institutes, the government has made an expenditure of Rs 260 crore in 2022 against Rs 20 crore in 2000. The number of colleges has increased from 548 to 1,024 while state public universities from six to 16, he added.
