Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Dec 23:

he Odisha government’s Higher Education department has ordered the Council of Higher Secondary Education (CHSE) to check whether self-financing and residential colleges in the state have the basic infrastructure.

The Higher Education department, in a letter to the CHSE, has asked it to conduct a survey and furnish a report in this regard by January 5 next year.

The department is planning to derecognize colleges lacking in infrastructure and will disallow admission of students from the next academic year. A total of 36 teams have been engaged in the survey work.

“We will check when these colleges were accorded affiliations. Whether these colleges have the requisite number of classrooms, libraries, laboratories, common rooms for students and other infrastructure and submit a detailed report to the government,” said Prof. Basudev Chhatoi, chairman CHSE.

Sources in the Higher Education department said the government is planning to initiate action against the college as well as its management if it is found lacking in basic infrastrcuture in the survey done by CHSE. Colleges found to be at deficient may even be drecognised as the government is serious about the falling standard of education in the state, the sources added.

“Based on the Council’s report, we will take action on defaulting colleges. The CHSE will submit a complete report on infrastructure available in these colleges, their fee structures and other facilities. We will cancel their affiliation and disallow admissions for the next academic session. We are going to take stern action against defaulting colleges,” said Durga Prasad Behera, additional secretary, Higher Education department.