'Khallikote cluster varsity waiting for funds, guidelines'

Three months after Odisha government issued a notification to upgrade the 137-year-old Khallikote autonomous college into the first cluster university in the state, its officials are still waiting for adequate measures to be taken for ensuring its smooth running.
The new university has not received any guidelines or instruction regarding its functioning despite such institutions having several requirements, including for funds, its officer-on-special duty, Manmath Padhy, said.
"The government had informed us that Rs 1 crore has been sanctioned for the university, but we have not received the amount so far," said Padhy, whose appointment came after the notification was issued on May 30.

"Neither has the government transferred the assets and funds of Khallikote college to the new university and, so, we cannot even use them," he added.
The authorities at the new university are also in the dark as to how they would run the institution as the government has not enacted any law for its functioning.
"We have several times sought a clarification from the government in this regard," Padhy said.

A syndicate, which functions as an apex decision-making body, is needed to take any decision for the university. In the absence of a syndicate, the new university cannot take any decision such as the appointment of staff, said a senior teacher.

On the other hand, the government has withdrawn the appointment of teaching staff from the Public Service Commission as the Khallikote autonomous college has been elevated to a university, he said.
Khallikote Autonomous College is the first cluster university in the state under the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) programme.