Rama Devi Women’s (Autonomous) College students want college to function under varsity

BHUBANESWAR: Confusion prevails over existence of Rama Devi Women’s (Autonomous) College after abolition of 71 posts in 18 subjects and deputation of teachers to Rama Devi Women’s University.
Though an official notification issued in 2016 clarified that the RD (Autonomous) College has been upgraded and converted to University under Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) scheme, students pursuing undergraduate courses in the only Government women’s college in Khurda district are scared of their career.

On March 14, the State Government had abolished 71 posts of Professors, Readers and Lecturers in Physics, Chemistry, Botany, Zoology, Statistics, Mathematics, Psychology, Sanskrit, Political Science, Philosophy, History, Sociology, Hindi, English, Odia, Economics, Home Science and Commerce disciplines from the women’s college.

The women’s college was converted into University in 2015 along with GM College in Sambalpur and Khallikote College in Ganjam. While Khallikote (Auto) College is still functioning under the Khallikote University, students alleged, the Government’s decision to close the RD Women’s College is arbitrary.
Students’ Union president Souvagya Soumyashree Samal said instead of shutting down the autonomous college, the Government should allow it to function under the university like 48 other women’s colleges that are now affiliated it.

“Though we have been demanding UG-PG combination in the institution since long, no action has been taken yet. Education has been hampered as no faculty has been appointed in the university. As the posts from the autonomous college have been abolished, who will impart education to the students?” she wondered. On demarcation of land for the second campus, Samal said the Government is yet to finalise the location. The University is unable to utilise funds released under RUSA for infrastructural development due to lack of space in the existing campus, she pointed out.

“Even as the University authorities claim that a recommendation for a patch of 10-acre land close to the institution has been sent, the Higher Education officials we met on Saturday told that no recommendation has reached them. It seems no body is serious about it,” she said.The students said they are also not sure whether the RD (Junior) College would function in the same campus as the Government is all set to merge Plus-II with a nearby high school.