Bhubaneswar: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has approached the Union Minister for Education Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ and sought his intervention in granting Central University status to Utkal University. Pradhan wrote to the education minister on the occasion of the 78th Foundation Day of Utkal University.
“Utkal University, the premier institution is celebrating its 78th Foundation Day today. There has been a long standing demand from the members of the academic fraternity of Odisha for granting Central University status to Utkal University,” Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Steel, Dharmendra Pradhan, wrote in a letter addressed to the Education Minister on Friday.
According to Pradhan, there is an acute necessity for setting up a second Central University in the state, especially around Bhubaneswar which is set to become an economic and education hub in eastern India.
“Classifying Utkal University as a Central University would not only cater to the needs of students from coastal and eastern Odisha, but also create tremendous potential for employment generation, industry-academia interface and advanced research in the region,” the minister added.