Bhubaneswar, Dec. 25: The state government has decided to separate all Plus Two and degree colleges operating from the same premises from the 2015-16 academic session.

The colleges will have different managements, faculty members and infrastructure. Higher education minister Pradeep Kumar Panigrahy announced this last week during a conference of principals.

The Plus Two classes will come under the school and mass education department and it will be eligible for funding from the Rastriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan scheme. The state will receive Rs 100 crore funds annually under the scheme.

Colleges with both Plus Two and degree courses are not eligible for grants under the centrally sponsored Rashtriya Uchhatar Shiksha Abhiyan.

In 2001, Plus Two and degree courses were separated in BJB, Ravenshaw, Khallikote, Fakir Mohan and Gangadhar Meher colleges. They have different principals but operate from the same campus. “The colleges need not worry about infrastructure constraints or teachers as they will be supported by the government for the necessary upgrade,” Panigrahy said.

“The government will recruit 1,800 teachers for degree colleges, through the Odisha Public Service Commission for government colleges and through the Service Selection Board for private institutions,” Panigrahi said.

The state has around 700 colleges that have both Plus Two and degree courses and 750 colleges that offer only Plus Two programmes.

Principals of some colleges, mostly private, feared that creating separate infrastructure and hiring new faculty members would take time and might not be possible in the current academic year.

It was decided that all students would be eligible to take honours subject at the graduation level. There will be no graduation without honours subjects from 2015-16 academic session.