First convocation of VSSUT on 25th February

Government apathy continues on the premier and oldest engineering institution of the state, University college of Engineering located at Burla even after it becomes Unitary University. Although government renamed it as Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT) as per Orissa act 9 of 2009 from 1^st July 2009, but the condition remains the same. What to speak of financial grants when government does not able to provide an officer for the post of Registrar. The Vice chancellor of the University hopeful for a better condition in near future as the World Bank has agreed to provide a financial assistance of Rs. 10 crores to 15 crores from the coming academic year to the university to begin some new courses.

“I have requested several times to the government and even written letter to the government thorough Governor to provide an officer for the post of registrar, but we are yet to get a government officer for same. Regarding financial allocation we have not received any grants from the government as assured by the CM. I have also given a proposal of Rs. 100 crores for the infrastructural development of the Institution but it is also in the pipeline”, the vice-chancellor of the VSSUT Prof. Deb Kumar Tripathy said “How ever we are hopeful for a better condition of the institution as World Bank has agreed to provide financial assistance from the coming academic session when we start 5 new courses under the University”, Prof Tripathy said.

Sources said, courses on metrical technology, water resources management, power and electric management and manufacturing system engineering will be started in VSSUT from 2010. Established in 1956 near Hirakud Dam project on the side of the River Mahanadi, the institution is going to have its first ever convocation on 25^th February where two best students from graduate and post graduate discipline will be conferred with gold Medal. In the convocation ceremony Chancellor Muralidhar Chandrakant Bhandare and fellow of National aerospace laboratories, Bangalore Padmadree Dr. Kota Harinarayan have agreed to attend the function where 337 students of the university will be conferred with degrees.

The University of its Own Effort formed a consultative cell to provide consultative services to the industrial houses located in the vicinity. “By providing consultative services to the industrials houses and private company located around the vicinity, we want to generate some funds for the development of the university”, he added.

According to the sources the university has a vacancy of about 39 faculty members for which the institution faces series of difficulties in smooth functioning of the study of the students. “If thing will go as per scheduled these posts are filled up in coming academic year”, Prof Tripathy hoped.

On the other hand, despite of various difficulties, university continues to achieve several distinctions because of the efforts of the students and teaching staff. The students of the university stood first in ‘robotics’ in the techno-fair 'Khitish-2010' held at IIT, Kharagpur where country wide engineering students had participated. Apart from this, university is able to provide jobs to as many as 146 students through its ‘training and placement cell’ during 2009. The University has not yet received the require 300 acres of government lands as assured by the government. Though free land is available adjacent to the University, delay occurred in acquiring the land because of the sluggish approach of the revenue officials, sources alleged.