Gross injustice to Orissa:Announced National Inst. of Sc. in Bhubaneswar renamed & shifted

This blog chronicles a movement to correct an injustice and get an IISER to Odisha. In 12/2003, the then HRD minister and the president had announced 4 National Inst. of Sc.(NIS) at Bhubaneshwar, Chennai, Pune and Allahabad. The 2004-05 announcements of IISERs at Pune and Kolkata overrode that. Thus ensued a successful movement to correct this injustice, especially with respect to Odisha.

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Addresses of PM, President, UPA Chairperson, and Planning Comission

President
DR. A.P.J. ABDUL KALAM
Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi - 110 004
Email : presidentofindia@rb.nic.in
presidentofindia@rb.nic.in
Fax : 011-23017290 & 011-23017824



PM
Dr. Manmohan Singh
South Block,Raisina Hill,
New Delhi, India-110011.
Telephone: 91-11-23012312.Fax: 91-11-23019545 /91-11-23016857.
email: http://pmindia.nic.in/write.htm
manmohan@sansad.nic.in

Leader of UPA
Smt. Sonia Gandhi
President:INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS
24, Akbar Road,
New Delhi – 110011 ,INDIA
TEL : 91-11-23019080
FAX : 91-11-23017047
email: aicc@congress.org.in
soniagandhi@sansad.nic.in

Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission
Montek Singh Ahluwalia
Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission,
Government of India
Parliament Street, New Delhi – 110001 (India)
Tel.: 91-11-23096677
dch@yojana.nic.in

# posted by chitta @ 12:48 PM

archives

• October 2005
• November 2005
• December 2005
• January 2006
• February 2006
• March 2006
• April 2006
• May 2006
• June 2006
• July 2006
• August 2006
• August 2015

Most important Links

• * The whole issue in a booklet form (pdf, 3.37 mega bytes)
• * Glaring imbalance in HRD-NH funding: Orissa a big loser
• * Denying basic human rights to citizens of Orissa and Bihar
• * Summary: Nov'29 2005
• * The 45 page UGC document
• * Center for promoting an equitable India
• * Mentions President's formal announcement on NIS
• * July 2003 UGC letter to Utkal U
• *HRD Resource hijack by PM and FM to their constituencies and allies: you be the judge
• * Join yahoo group on NIS IISER
• * Latest News: NIS + Orissa
• * Latest News: NIS + Bhubaneswar

Quick history; journalist storylines

• * Summary: Nov'29 2005
• * Press release 1 : Subterfuge ..
• * Nov 6 convention fact sheet
• * Open letter to PM -- please send a similar letter
• * On-line petition -- please sign
• * Letter to the planning commission
• * Short Press release 1
• * Press release 2 : Bhubaneswar has all the needed attributes ...
• * Nov 6 convention resolution
• * Nov 20 all Orissa student convention press release
• * Storylines of interest for a journalist
• * www.orissalinks.com - an old archive

NIS related documents and excerpts

• * The 45 page UGC document on NIS, mentions Bhubaneswar, mentions Orissa government efforts on land acquisition
• * Local copy of the above document
• * GOI PIB - mentions Bhubaneswar
• * GOI PIB local copy
• * UGC report - mentions Bhubaneswar
• * Local copy of the above report
• * Mention of President's formal announcement on NIS (1 in Bhubaneswar)
• * Mention of President's formal announcement on setting up of 4 NIS (1 in Bhubaneswar)
• * The President's speech on 28th Dec 2003 (mentions an NIS in Bhubaneswar)
• * Official letter from UGC chair to Utkal VC -- excerpts
• * July 2003 UGC letter to Utkal U
• * CM writes to PM - 23rd Aug 05
• * CM writes to PM - 29th Sept 05
• * CM writes to PM - 11th Nov 05
• * Response in Lok sabha - Dec 20th 05
• * Response in Rajya Sabha - Dec 20th 05

The subterfuge (NIS becomes IISER -- No Bhubaneswar)

• * The first hint of subterfuge (see 3rd and 4th para from bottom)
• * Subterfuge unfolds -- Now NIS in Kolkata & Pune (see 4th para from the bottom)
• * IISER announcement - PIB report
• * IISER Cabinet approval
• * IISER is NIS renamed -- even WB CM confuses
• * IISER is NIS renamed 2 -- The Statesman confuses
• * NIS = IISER: the story (Gloating over the hijack in WB)

The Irony: PM's talk vs action

• * Sept 28 speech of PM (see last senetence)
• * Same day he approves the heist - Bhubaneswar out!
• * Speech mentioning vision of an equitable India (9th para, last but one sentence)

HRD ministry's sidelining of Orissa over the years

• * Glaring imbalance in HRD-NH funding: Orissa a big loser
• * HRD ministry organizations and institutions
• * 2004-2005 budget of the above institutions
• * 2005-2006 budget of the above institutions (see part7, sbe58)
• * Central Universities (NONE in Orissa)
• * Institutions of National importance (NONE in Orissa)
• * 2005-2006 budget of the above institutions (see part7, sbe58, sbe90)
• * Autonomous Sc. and Tech Institutions (NONE in Orissa)
• * 2004-2005 budget of the above institutions
• * 2005-2006 budget of the above institutions (see part7, sbe82)
• * HRD Tech Education part of annual report
• * HRD Univ and higher education part of annual report
• * Unequal distribution of mega-higher education institutions across India
• * HRD spends roughly 10-15 times more in WB than in Orissa
• * Request for Central university in Orissa ignored while establishing them elsewhere.
• * Shortlist of existing institutions to be upgraded to IITs (NONE in Orissa) (Regional balance out the window! Why NITs were not considered?)
• Detailed 2004-2005 budget
• Detailed 2005-2006 budget (see part 7)
• * 2006 HRD premier higher education budget analysis (spreadsheet, blatant favouritism and budget grabbing by PM and FM)
• * 2005 HRD premier higher education budget analysis (spreadsheet, anlytic paper)
• * Denying basic human rights to citizens of Orissa and Bihar: March 06 (a paper)

The protest: What can I/we do?

• * What not to do? NO rasta roko, rail roko etc. please!
• * Open letter to PM -- please send a similar letter
• * On-line petition -- please sign
• * I am an elected represetative. What should I do?
• * I am deeply concerned by this. What should I do?
• * What can our group do in Orissa?
• * What can our group in Delhi/Bangalore/Mumbai/etc. do?
• * An appeal to Oriyas -- please act
• * I am not from Orissa. Why should I care?
• * An appeal to Indians - Manoj Pradhan
• * Appeal to common citizens - Dr. Digambar Patra

Contact lists and links

• * The President, PM and Smt. Gandhi
• * SAC-PM members (pdf)
• * SAC-PM and planning commission member emails (Why didn't they ensure fairness?)
• * The Planning Commission of India
(Why did they rubberstamp the HRD ministry's proposal without looking at regional balance?)
• * Indian Media
• * News media accredited to GOI - web pages (a big list)
• * GOI site to file grievances (contact person's emails)
• * Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs
• * Orissa MPs
• * BJP MPs etc. (Hope they raise the issue in parliament and in Delhi.)
• * Orissa journalists
• * Orissa related egroups

Suggested Solutions

• * Short term: If I were the PM ...
• * A win-win solution: initial thoughts
• * A win-win solution: first draft of a proposal
• * Long term: If the PM really cared
• * New IIT designations
We hope Prof. Mungekar(member, education, planning commission)'s view -new IITs in states with no IIT or IIM-prevails.

Selected National and international media coverage

• * Hindustan Times: Nov 29th 2005
• * Hindsutan Times: Dec 14th 2005
• * Pioneer: Dec 22nd 2005
• * Hindu, Business Line: Jan 9th 2006
• * Asian Age and International Herald Tribune, Feb 12th 2006
• * Hindustan Times, Feb 14th 2006
• * Indian Express, May 26th 2006
• * Indian Express editorial page article, July 1st 2006

Selected local press coverage -- in English

• * Recent News: NIS + Orissa
• * Recent News: NIS + Bhubaneswar
• * New india Express, Aug 24 2005
• * NRO's rue shifting of NIS. Oct 10 2005.
• * Under whose spell! Oct 7 2005
• * Eminent personalities write. Oct 26 2005.
• * High court gets involved. Oct 27 2005.
• Nov 6 Convention on NIS IISER
• * Pioneer 1
• * Pioneer 2
• * webindia123.com
• * newkerala.com
• * orissamatters.com
• * Navhind Times
• * Sun Times
• High Court Stay order, Nov 9-10:
• * Business Standard
• * Times of India
• * Calcutta Telegraph
• * Statesman
• * Telegraph (quotes us)
• * Pioneer
• * news.webindia123
• * Orissamatters.com
• * CM to PM again. Nov 12 2005.
• * Nov 20 student's convention reports
• * Orissa assembly resolution and MP's protest

Selected local press coverage -- in Oriya

• * Samaja, Aug 18 2005
• * Samaja, Aug 19 2005
• * Sambada, Aug 19 2005
• * Samaja editorial, Aug 20 2005
• * Sambada, Aug 24 2005
• * Samaja, Sept 2 2005
• * Sambada, Oct 8 2005
• * Samaja, Oct 8 2005
• NOV 6 Convention on NIS IISER * Sambada
• HC stay order: Nov 9-10 * Samaja, Sambada * Dharitri * Odisha.com
• * Orissa CPI-CPI(M), Samaja, Nov 11 2005.
• * Nov 20 student's convention reports
• * Orissa assembly resolution and MP's protest

Related blogs and sites

• * Central University in KBK and other backward district clusters of India
• * Regional balance as well as academic excellence in upgrading institutions to new IITs
• * Orissa related links
• * Orissamatters.com
• * Worldorissa.com's coverage on NIS
• * Orissa Links - A central place to watch out for Orissa (coming soon)
• * A blog article about our effort

Thanks to

• http://www.blogger.com/
• Google News
• http://www.isandt.com/