Bhubaneswar, April 12: The government’s screening committee for examining the proposals to set up private universities in the state has given the go-ahead to Birla Global University (BGU).

The “world class university” — proposed by the Calcutta-based Birla Academy of Art and Culture — will be set up at an estimated cost of Rs 86 crore.

Around 1,000 students will be offered courses in both technical and non-technical education, said higher education secretary Gagan Dhal.

An area of 29.4 acres has already been acquired at Gothapatna on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar for its establishment. Construction has commenced, said Dhal.

“The varsity will come up as a university under ‘de novo’ category. De novo institutions are those that promise excellence in emerging areas. Under this category, institutions are given deemed university status for a period of five years subject to annual performance reviews made by a UGC-appointed committee,” he said.

The varsity will offer a variety of courses and have various schools, including School of Humanities, School of Architecture and Planning and School of Tribal Studies and Development.

There will also be schools on development, sustainability, communication and law.

The screening committee has asked promoters of the proposed varsity to set up a Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) in Bhubaneswar on the lines of BITS, Pilani, to provide quality technical education in the state.

The committee also proposed that the varsity should try and include subjects such as vocational education, BEd and MEd, banking, insurance, nuclear and space science, marine science, agricultural science, food safety, genetics and so on while offering quality education at an affordable cost.

Twenty-nine more institutions that have applied to set up universities in the state are awaiting clearance from the steering committee.