Odisha to upgrade Khallikote Autonomous College

Odisha government has set the process for upgrading Khallikote Autonomous College to the first cluster university of the state in motion.
"While around 20 acre more land has been identified for the university, an officer on special duty will be appointed to look after the implementation. We are also trying to solve other bottlenecks so that it can start functioning from the next academic year," Higher Education minister Pradeep Kumar Panigrahi said here on Tuesday.
The government has announced that the 137 year-old college would be upgraded as a cluster university under the Rastriya Uchachatara Shikshya Abhiyan (RUSA).
The proposal has already received Centre's approval.

At least 40 acre land is required for the university. The district administration had alrady identified 20 acre of land near Palur hill, about 20 km from here. At present, Khallikote College has over 20-acre land of its own.
Earlier, the government decided to include four nearby colleges - Binayak Acharya College, SBR Women's college, Berhampur, Science College, Chhatrapur and Gopalpur college in the cluster university. Khallikote college will function as the lead college in the cluster.
Now, four more colleges - Berhampur City College, Ambapua, K M Science College, Narendrapur, R N Degree College, Dura and Mahamayee Mahila Mahavidyalaya, Berhampur - have been added. The lead college will prepare the course of studies and conduct the examinations.

Since next academic session is barely two months away, academicians have expressed doubts on whether the cluster university can function from next session.