Five new PG courses at Berhampur University yet to start

BERHAMPUR: Hopes of starting five new post graduate courses in Berhampur University, sanctioned by the University Grants Commission(UGC) in the eleventh plan period, appear to be bleak as the plan period will come to an end in the next six months. The UGC had sanctioned post graduate courses in geophysics, pharmacy, microbiology, Hindi and education for the university during its eleventh plan period, which will come to an end on March 2012. The courses are yet to start as the state government is yet to give its consent on the matter even though over three years have passed since the correspondence between university authorities and state higher education department. "We are trying to pursue the matter with the state government to start the subjects before the end of the plan period," said Berhampur University vice chancellor, J K Mohapatra. "Not only are aspirants of higher studies in these subjects deprived, but the university also lost the UGC funds given for starting these subjects," a student leader said. Due to the absence of regular courses in these subjects, students are forced to take up self-financing courses in some of these subjects by paying huge fees, said ABVP Ganjam district unit president, Siba Prasad Tripathy. "Due to the apathetic attitude of the state government, not a single new department has been opened in Berhampur University in the last two decades," he added."The government should immediately give their nod to open the new subjects for the benefit of students of southern Orissa districts, otherwise they would go for an agitation," said National Students Union of India (NSUI) Ganjam district unit president, Biswajit Patra.

Source: Times of India