Bhubaneswar, Nov. 27: Utkal University should launch more professional courses so that poor students could have access to quality higher education at affordable costs, said Supreme Court judge Ananga Kumar Patnaik. Justice Patnaik was addressing the 69th foundation day function of the university.

“Courses which are immediately relevant to the Indian rural scenario should be identified and offered against a nominal fee so that youths from economically backward families can afford such professional courses,” said Patnaik.

Speaking on the occasion, vice-chancellor P.K. Sahoo expressed concern about the quality of student intake in certain social science departments. “We need to improve the standard of our graduate programmes so that the quality of student-intake improves,” he said.

“The required standard of teachers is also another area of concern. A large number of teaching positions are lying vacant and it is difficult to get candidates, who have qualified the National Eligibility Test. With the establishment of new central universities offering better service conditions, the attrition rate is increasing. Teachers in state universities do not always concentrate on continuous quality improvement,” said the vice-chancellor.

Sahoo hoped that central and state governments and other funding agencies would provide a maintenance grant to the university. “The availability of physical infrastructure in terms of classrooms, hostels, sports facilities, quarters, guest houses is far from satisfactory. While the UGC gives us developmental grants, funding for research is also available to a certain extent. The state government takes care of the salary part. But when it comes to maintenance of the infrastructure, the university is left to fend for itself,” said Sahoo, adding that the institution needed a maintenance grant as well.

“Universities can never afford to be unconcerned with the society and the economy. The spirit of entrepreneurship, social concern, economic leadership and social activism and agents of change must germinate in the classroom,” said governor and chancellor of the university M.C. Bhandare.

The varsity authorities also announced two new courses. Apart from an engineering college, the varsity plans to start a college of food technology from the next academic session. The proposals are ready and have already been discussed at the syndicate level.