Bolangir: The 75-year-old Rajendra (Autonomous) College here was upgraded as a university as per the notification issued by the Department of Higher Education dated March 2, 2019.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had also announced January 24, 2019 that the Government has a positive attitude towards granting university status to the autonomous college”. After a circular was issued by the Higher Education department, it raised hopes among the people of Bolangir that “their longstanding demand is going to be fulfilled”.
Soon after that, sign boards were seen on the main gate of the college and its administrative building with the nomenclature of itself as ‘Rajendra University’. Nearly four months later, people of the region are doubtful about the status and position of this college.
As per the circular of Higher Education Department, “Rajendra (Autonomous) College was supposed to attain university status and operate accordingly after the Gazette notification of Government of Odisha”. However, no such notification has been issued within the past four months.
Interestingly, people have started calling the Rajendra (Autonomous) College as a ‘Sign-board University’. It is learnt that the admissions for 2019-20 academic year have already started and studies have also begun for some of the courses in the proposed university.
However, the posting of Vice-Chancellor for the university as well as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) has not been done in the current academic year. It is alleged, the most renowned and oldest undergraduate college of Bolangir district is being neglected by the state government.
It is lagging far behind other contemporary educational institutions of the state, especially western Odisha. According to sources, out of 75 faculty posts 43 are still lying vacant. Furthermore, the principal in-charge is managing day-to-day administration of the college, in the absence of a regular and full-time principal.
In the non-teaching segment, 35 posts are lying vacant out of a total of 82. Such an apathetic attitude of the state government has hurt the sentiments of local students, intellectuals and educationists.
When the people of Bolangir district are preparing to celebrate the platinum jubilee of the college, they have strongly resented the inertia of the state government as far as the Gazette notification is concerned.
PNN