Odisha: Students of colleges with temporary recognition can write exam

BHUBANESWAR: Students of 112 degree, professional and Sanskrit colleges in Odisha that are without permanent recognition at present will be allowed to write their first semester University Exam-2022 this year. The Higher Education department has asked Utkal, Rama Devi and Jagannath Viswavidylaya universities to allow students of affiliated colleges to allow them appear for the examination. 

Sources said the colleges had been operating with temporary recognition till the year 2020. Although principals of the 112 colleges had applied for grant of permanent recognition for academic sessions 2020-21 and 2021-22 and their reports of joint inspections carried out by university authorities and respective Regional Director of Education have been submitted to the High Power Committee (HPC) of Higher Education department, the approvals are yet to come. 

Sources added that the approvals are subject to fulfillment of all conditions of recognition under the Orissa Education Act,1969 like availability of adequate faculty, laboratories, basic amenities for students, among other things. 

As per the Orissa Education Act,1969, a higher education institution can operate with a temporary recognition for six years and in its 7th year it has to apply for a permanent recognition. If found operating without permanent recognition after 7 years, the institution can face closure,  derecognition or restriction in admission. 

For the 2021-22 academic session, nine degree colleges were either closed down or admission was restricted by the Higher Education department due to lack of infrastructure and faculty members. Most of these institutions were self-finance colleges.“Keeping the future of students of these 112 colleges in mind, they will be allowed to appear for the first semester exams that are scheduled soon, ‘’ a notification by the department on Tuesday read.