Bhubaneswar, May 27: Eight educationally backward districts in the state will get model degree colleges.

The decision was taken at a meeting, chaired by chief minister Naveen Patnaik, this evening to review the higher education department's performances.

The districts, where the colleges would come up, are Boudh, Deogarh, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Nayagarh, Nuapada, Rayagada and Sonepur.

Similar steps will be taken at the Plus Two level at Nandahandi, Bandhugaon and Chandrapur blocks located in Nabarangpur, Koraput and Rayagada districts, all are backward and tribal dominated areas.

Naveen advised the department officials to carry forward the initiative of enrolling SC and ST women students in the higher education sector, official sources said. It has also been decided that school of language would be opened at the Fakir Mohan College in Balasore, and the North Odisha University in Baripada for Urdu and Santhali language, respectively.

Moreover, it was revealed at the meeting that three universities had been set up in the government sector and another one in private sector during 2015-16, apart from establishment of the State Council of Higher Secondary Education. Besides, an open university is being set up in Sambalpur.

The officials at the meeting were also told that the draft law for establishment of an Odia Language and Literature University was being readied.

Sources said problems of vacancies in the universities and colleges were discussed at the meeting at length. <>Officials said the process was on to fill up 426 teacher posts in different government universities and 1,625 in private colleges. At the Plus Two level, 101 teacher posts were filled up.

Discussions on quality upgradation also figured at the meeting. The chief minister was apprised that 15 colleges in the state had been accorded A-grade by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council. Naveen also asked officials to make research by university faculties mandatory.

It was also revealed that steps had been taken to set up a state scholarship council to facilitate meritorious students. The state government was also providing four and 6 per cent interest subsidy on educational loan stipend for technical and management students, respectively.

Moreover, at the Plus Two level, free laptops have so far been distributed to 44,250 meritorious students and the distribution work for the current year would start shortly, said an official. It was also decided that campus placement system would be started at the university and college level to provide employment opportunities to the students.

Safe drinking water

At a separate meeting, the chief minister directed the rural development officials to provide tube wells to 27,000 partially covered villages by the coming year.

He was told that potable drinking water facility had been provided to 1.28 lakh out of 1.56 lakh habitations and pipe water has been supplied to more than 44 villages.