Odisha Govt Merges MSCB’s 2nd Campus With Dharanidhar University In Keonjhar

Keonjhar: The Odisha government has merged the second campus of Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo (MSCB) University, formerly North Orissa University (NOU), in Keonjhar with Dharanidhar University.

In a notification issued on Thursday, the Higher Education Department stated that all the sanctioned posts of 2nd campus of MSCB University will be transferred to Dharanidhar University. The teaching faculty who opted for Dharanidhar University will be absorbed against the vacancy there, it said.

However, students enrolled at MSCB’s 2nd campus will continue to be under its jurisdiction till completion of their course. “New admissions will be under Dharanidhar University, Keonjhar, from the date of incorporation of Dharanidhar University or any other date as decided by Dharanidhar University,” the notification further said.

No fresh admission will be made in the second campus of MSCB University with effect from 2023-24. Fresh admission will be done only under Dharanidhar University.

The government land allotted in favour of MSCB (2nd campus) will be alienated in favour of Dharanidhar University. All the liabilities and litigations related to the second campus of MSCB University will be booked after by DDU from the date of the notification.

The MSCB registrar has also been asked to hand over all official files/ records/ documents of 2nd campus to the Registrar of Dharanidhar University, it added.

Notably, the Odisha government had altered the territorial jurisdiction of MSCB University, Baripada, by upgrading Dharanidhar Autonomous College to university in mineral rich Keonjhar district in February this year.

In July, the authorities of Baripada’s MSCB had informed the department that professor and assistant professor of Odia department and a professor of Sanskrit department have chosen MSCB, while four assistant professors and an associate professor have opted for Dharanidhar University. Section officer and junior assistant have also chosen Dharanidhar University to continue their job. They had also requested for creation or transfer of five departments in the main campus of the university at Baripada in lieu of those running in its second campus at Keonjhar.

Dharanidhar Autonomous College was established in 1957 as Keonjhar Science College. The college was taken over by the Odisha government in 1962. In 1967, it was renamed as Keonjhar College after the introduction of humanities courses. Later in the year 1983-84, it was renamed after revolutionary Dharanidhar Naik. In 1999, the college was affiliated with North Odisha University at Baripada of Mayurbhanj district. Later it got autonomous status.