Capital clinch on central varsity leaves steel city sulking |
|
- 50% TDS data mismatch cases worries I-T dept
- Book on Implication of GATS on Education - by Dr Arundhati Sarkar Bose, XLRI, Jamshedpur
- Maoists abduct engineer in Jharkhand
- Jharkhand teachers protest census duties
- Ranchi University declares the results of B.Sc and Vocational
- La Marts dumps the cane, finally
- Hostel woes begin even before college admission
- Jharkhand Polytechnic Result 2010 (JCECEB) soon
- Jharkhand Results 2010: Register For Your Result
- Jharkhand Board Exam 2010 result on May 10
- Study lays thrust on specialised skills
- Systematic attacks on schools on rise in India: UN
- Shri S. Vijayaraghavan, Chief Advisor Investment, Talks About Entrepreneurship at XLRI, Jamshedpur
- Interview with Dr. P Venugopal, Dean, XLRI Jamshedpur
- We are planning to hold MBA interviews from Feb 25, says XLRI Dean Dr. P Venugopal
Ranchi, June 17: The state capital has finally woken up to the virtues of hosting the proposed central university, with its vice-chancellor now being wooed with a campus some 20km from Ranchi.
G. Krishnan, adviser to Governor Syed Sibtey Razi, said he had approved the proposal to hand over the premises, belonging to the panchayati raj department at Brambay on the Ranchi-Daltonganj Road, to the Central University of Jharkhand.
After being cold-shouldered by the erstwhile state government for months, vice-chancellor D.T. Khathing finally made some headway in his search for a venue when the Tatas came up with a possible option in Jamshedpur — a school building in the heart of town — from where he could launch the new varsity.
Khathing had settled for that and had even set up an administrative office in Ranchi at a posh residential/commercial complex on Kanke Road to begin recruitments.
Finally, Ranchi stopped playing coy and has now come up with what could be the final address of the new university, leaving Jamshedpur, its original backers, disappointed.
“The building, which houses the panchayati raj training centre, is suitable for the university. I am waiting for a formal agreement with the state to get possession,” he told The Telegraph.
But Khathing had a word of caution for the state. “I am running out of time. I have to get the campus soon to begin the admission process,” he pointed out.
The Brambay training centre is spread over 44.65 acre and comprises an administrative building, classrooms, conference halls, recreation centres and two 100-bed hostels for boys and girls.
The premises also has two guest rooms and separate accommodation that could be used by the vice-chancellor.
“There should not be any problem in formally handing over the premises to the central university in a day or two. The MoU will be signed once the Governor gives his nod,” said Krishnan who visited the centre yesterday along with Khathing, human resource development secretary Mridula Sinha, panchayati raj secretary Vishnu Kumar and higher education director Anjani Srivastava.
He said the Centre had sanctioned the university to be located in Ranchi. “So, it cannot be shifted to Jamshedpur. Besides, the government has also located 500 acre at Sukurhuttu in Ranchi to set up another campus,” he clarified.
Ankush Bhuyan, officer on special duty, said the Centre had laid out certain guidelines for selecting the new varsity’s location. “The Union human resource development ministry had two primary considerations. One, central universities should not be set up in an area less than 500 acre, and two, the location should be well connected by road, rail and air,” he pointed out.
He said the first academic session of the central varsity could start from August. “Four streams will be taken up initially. They are mass communication, business administration, mathematics and English,” he said.
The Tatas are disappointed but has come to terms with the development. “I think the Ranchi venue would be better suited for the university. Tata Steel had offered to host the university temporarily, but we hadn’t heard from the vice-chancellor,” said Prabhat Sharma, the head of corporate affairs, Tata Steel.
“It’s definitely a loss to the city,” he added, a sentiment shared by the steel city’s academic community. “It is depressing to note that central university is not coming up in Jamshedpur,” said Shukla Mahanty, principal of Jamshedpur Women’s College.
“Had it been here, we would have also got better teachers and the city would have been destined to become an education hub. Now, our students will have to look to Ranchi for better opportunities.”
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090618/jsp/jharkhand/story_11125126.jsp