Cuttack, Aug. 1: A public interest petition (PIL) filed in Orissa High Court has sought intervention against the opening of a Centre of Post Graduate Studies (CPGS) and offering of admission into MBA (agribusiness) by the Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT).

The PIL has alleged that OUAT opened the institute without the required approval of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

Raman Kumar Behera, a resident of Markatnagar in Cuttack city, has alleged that the CPGS had also started self-financing courses in MBA (agribusiness) in violation of the norms of the ICAR.

“Though ICAR guidelines makes it mandatory as per accreditation provision that only agriculture graduates are eligible to undergo postgraduate studies in agribusiness management, the OUAT had invited application from general candidates too,” the PIL contended.

The PIL filed last week had not been taken up for hearing by the high court so far.

According to the petition, the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) prohibits universities to go ahead with career orientation courses without prior approval of the AICTE and ICAR.

“But the agriculture university is conducting MBA in agriculture courses without prior approval of the AICTE,” the petitioner alleged.

“OUAT has illegally given franchise to many private parties to conduct career-oriented courses through self-financing schemes in complete violation of the norms of AICTE, ICAR and the state government,” the PIL contends.

“OUAT has not even obtained the permission of the state government and the governing council of the university,” the PIL further contends, while seeking an inquiry by the state vigilance.

The petitioner has expressed apprehension that the OUAT in the process “was putting the future of thousands of students in jeopardy”.

The PIL has sought quashing of the admission notification issued by OUAT for post-graduate course in agribusiness management on May 26, 2011, and direct the state vigilance “to investigate how OUAT started self-financing course by violating statutory norms and collected crores of rupees without audit and inquire how such fund has been utilised”.