Development news of orissa and India

Espousing the cause of women’s education, the 12th Plan document of the University Grants Commission, UGC, has proposed 20 exclusive universities for them and 800 constituent colleges under the Central varsities.

This is to ensure equity in access to quality education. The UGC has also sought a four-time hike in allocation during the Five Year Plan period from Rs 46,632 crore to Rs 1,84,740 crore to achieve its proposed initiatives.

They include upgrading of autonomous colleges with potential of excellence, enhancing intake capacity of institutes of higher education and development of ‘college cluster universities’.

The Plan document broadly emphasis on achieving the triple objectives of access and expansion, equity and inclusion, and quality and excellence, with an emphasis on consolidation and optimal use of infrastructure already created during the 11th Plan period.

The Centre has decided to ask Chief Ministers not to reduce their share from the plan fund for forest conservation.

Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan’s decision to write to Chief Ministers on the issue came after the state governments kept seeking money from the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) for other programmes in the forestry sector.

Chairing the ad-hoc committee meeting of the CAMPA, the Minister noticed that the states, eyeing CAMPA fund, is reducing their share from the plan fund for forest conservation activities.

43 Indian fishermen remanded for illegally fishing near the eastern cost of Sri Lanka, were released by local courts.

The Sri Lanka Navy had apprehended these fishermen along with six fishing trawlers for illegally fishing near the eastern coast of the island nation.

Lankan Navy Spokesman said the fishermen were arrested north of Pulmodai and their boats were handed over to the Trincomalee Harbour police by the navy patrol team.

In Odisha, Governor M.C. Bhandare unfurled the national flag at Bhubaneswar and took salute of the combined parade. A total of 68 teams from state police, CRPF, NCC, defence establishments, scouts and guides, Red Cross including various folk dance groups participated in the colourful ceremony. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, unfurled the tri-colour at the historic Barabati stadium at Cuttack. In his address, Mr. Patnaik, called upon the people of the States to work for realising the dream of Mahatma Gandhi