Government experiment ends, Odisha's Khallikote merges with Berhampur varsity

BHUBANESWAR/BERHAMPUR: Berhampur University is considering creation of a PG department in Library Science to accommodate students of the Khallikote Research Intensive University after the latter merged with it on Friday, October 1, 2021. The Khallikote University had six PG departments offering MSc in Biosciences and Bioinformatics; Masters in Natural Resources Management and Geo-informatics, Library and Information Science, Mass Communication and Media Technology; besides, MBA in Business Economics, Travel and Tourism Management. Around 45 students are pursuing these six PG programmes and their academic session will end in 2021-22. 

Vice-Chancellor of Berhampur university Govind Chakrapani said, five PG departments of Khallikote university are overlapping with Berhampur university curriculum and hence, have been merged. “Since these courses end in 2022, we will take a call on whether to make any changes to these courses or not after one year. However, Berhampur university does not have a Library and Information Science department and we are thinking of creating one soon”, he said.

Khallikote university had 27 faculty members who have been accommodated in their respective departments except those in Library Science and there were no non-teaching staff. Chakrapani informed that all the non-teaching staff of Khallikote university were outsourced and their tenure has been completed. 

“The transition has been smooth and this will only help Berhampur university improve its student-teacher ratio and research prospects”, he said. The Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) is recruiting another 48 faculty members for Berhampur university.

The Khallikote varsity students on completion of their degrees in 2022, the VC added, will get certificates from Khallikote Research Intensive university which will also mention its amalgamation with Berhampur university so that they do not face problems in future.

In 2015, Khallikote Autonomous College (KAC) was upgraded as a cluster university by affiliating five of its constituent colleges, including Khallikote Autonomous College (as the lead college). As both KAC and cluster university were unable to operate from one campus, the latter was shifted to a rented facility at Konisi, on the outskirts of Berhampur. 

However, the cluster university was again dismantled and the constituent colleges re-affiliated with Berhampur University in February last year. The cluster university was renamed as Khallikote Research Intensive University which was today merged with Berhampur. 

Sources in the Higher Education department said the move was aimed at saving an amount of Rs 1 crore that was annually spent on rent of the research intensive university. The State was paying Rs 10 lakh towards rent every month for the rented accommodation at Konisi.