Convert VSSUT to Centrally-funded institute: Bargarh MP demands in Parliament

The state got its first engineering college, UCE, Burla, close to the Hirakud Dam in 1956 and it has been a State unitary technical university named as VSSUT Burla since 2009. The college also has UGC recognition of 2(f) and 12(f).

Convert VSSUT Burla to a Centrally-funded technical institute (CFTI) in the line of Central Institute of Technology (CIT) in Kokrajhar of Assam, Bargarh MP Suresh Pujari demand in Parliament. Justifying his claim, Pujari said the State of Odisha is very rich in minerals but still has undeveloped regions such as KBK.

The state got its first engineering college, UCE, Burla, close to the Hirakud Dam in 1956 and it has been a State unitary technical university named as VSSUT Burla since 2009. The college also has UGC recognition of 2(f) and 12(f).

About VSSUT

Currently, there are more than 5,000 students in the college and it is among the first choice of the top rankers of the State. The University offers 11 UG courses, 34 PG courses and 16 PhD programmes. It has produced 30,000 plus alumni who are serving the nation and abroad in responsible positions, said Pujari.

The institute is within the vicinity of the industrial belt, mines and other institutes of higher learning such as Sambalpur University, VIMSAR, IIM, IIT, NIT and agricultural university. It is well connected by road, rail and air. The university has a total land of 500 acres and has a scope to become a ‘Multi-disciplinary Engineering Research University' (MERU) as mandated in NEP-2020.   

Pointing out these important factors, Pujari requested to consider upgrading VSSUT Burla so that it acts as a catalyst to the socio-economic and overall development of all the underdeveloped districts of western Odisha.

Earlier, Dharmendra Pradhan, during his days as the Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas also recommended a letter of the then VC of VSSUT Prof E Saibaba Reddy to the Union Education Minister to convert VSSUT to an IIT.

As Pradhan is the current Union Education Minister, it is expected that things would be easier for the purpose as he himself would do the work that he recommended to his counterpart in 2015.

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