Sambalpur: Gangadhar Meher University will celebrate its platinum jubilee year from July 7 this year. Yearlong programmes have been drawn up to celebrate the occasion which will be inaugurated by the chief minister Naveen Patnaik on July 7..

"The concluding programme will be held on July 7, 2019," university registrar Uma Charan Pati told The Telegraph. Every department will organise minimum two programmes. A national-level seminar, workshops, interaction programmes and various exhibitions will also be organised. The university has 23 departments. Apart from that, the students' union, various associations of the university and alumni association will also organise separate programmes, the registrar said.

The university started on July 7, 1944, as Sambalpur College. It was named after famous poet Gangadhar Meher in 1949. The biggest educational institute of west Odisha and second biggest college of the state after Ravenshaw College got its autonomous status in 1991.

The state government declared it as university on May 30, 2015.

Students from entire west Odisha, including Keonjhar, Dhenkanal and Phulbani, come to the university for higher education. Many of the students of this institution have brought laurels to the state.

In another development, the state government has allotted land for its second campus at Basantpur.

The Rashtriya Uchchatara Shiksha Abhiyan (Rusa) has sanctioned Rs 27.50 crore to the university for its infrastructure development. The university registrar said that were focusing on adding more classrooms to meet the increasing demands of the students.

At present, the university has only 40 classrooms to accommodate 23 departments. It is going to introduce four new courses in sociology, anthropology, biotechnology and library science from the next academic session.

There is a plan to construct a students' activity centre with cafeteria and gym, separate improved common rooms for boys and girls , and an administrative block to accommodate clerical staff and staff quarters.