Bhubaneswar, April 15: With an aim to create excellence in faculty research at Odisha universities, the Higher Education department had set up a number of Centres of Excellence.
The idea was to promote and facilitate research in both fundamental and application oriented themes of interest to the state.
The Centres of Excellence have been set up under the World Bank sponsored programme Odisha Higher Education Plan for Equity and Excellence (OHEPEE) and Centre sponsered scheme Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA)
The state government had sanctioned Rs 61.5 lakh in 2023-24 academic year and has planned to provide Rs 276.78 lakh in 2024-25 for infrastructure, purchasing of equipments, providing internship to research fellows and appointment of research associates under Mukhyamantri Research and Innovation Fellowship Program.
Eleven Centres of Excellence have been set up in Sambalpur University, Berhampur University, FM University, Utkal University and RD Women’s University for under graduate and post graduate students to research in natural sciences, engineering sciences, humanities and social sciences.
The Utkal University has highest six Centres of Excellence. However, no significant research is going on at the varsity. The research fellows are completing their tasks in due time. Besides, the sanctioned fund has not been utilised for research and development.
