Plea To PM To Stop Abolition of PG Courses In Odisha’s SVNIRTAR

Bhubaneswar: The intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been sought to prevent the Central authorities’ from abolishing the postgraduate (PG) courses in some subjects at the Swami Vivekananda National Institute of Rehabilitation Training and Research (SVNIRTAR).

In a memorandum submitted to the prime minister, Kalinga Bikash Manch (KBM) has alleged that NIRTAR Director was attempting to abolish PG courses in Physiotherapy (Neurology), Physiotherapy (Paediatrics) and Occupational Therapy from the institute. In a letter to the Vice-Chancellor of the Utkal University, he has cited the non-availability of faculty as the ground for abolition of the courses.

These courses are being run for the last 10 years with almost the present number of faculties and have produced eminent physiotherapists who are working in different parts of the world, said KBM president Deepak Kumar Mahanta in the memorandum.

Besides, the Head of the Department of Physiotherapy of SVNIRTAR has intimated the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment that the present faculties of his department are capable of taking the PG classes with specialties in Neurology and Pediatrics.

Mahanta said if the PG courses are discontinued in the institute, there will be a strong reaction from the people of the state.