Rethinking Higher Education in Orissa

Priyadarsan Patra

Portland, OR, USA

Institutes of higher education have a few primary and inter-related purposes. First is to meet the learning needs and aspirations of individuals through the development of their intellectual abilities and aptitudes. Higher education equips individuals to make the best use of their talents and of the opportunities offered by society for self-fulfillment. Second is to provide the labor market, in a knowledge-driven and knowledge-dependent society, with the high-level competencies and expertise necessary for the growth and prosperity of a modern economy, starting at the regional on to the national level. Higher Ed teaches and trains people to be successful in entering the learned professions, or to pursue vocations in administration, trade, industry and the arts, etc.

A World Bank report affirms that tertiary education is more than the capstone of the traditional education pyramid; it is a critical pillar of human development worldwide. They produce “trained individuals who develop the capacity and analytical skills that drive local economies, support civil society, teach children, lead effective governments, and make important decisions which affect entire societies. Universities are clearly a key part of all tertiary systems, but the diverse and growing set of public and private tertiary institutions in every country—colleges, technical training institutes, community colleges, nursing schools, research laboratories, centers of excellence, distance learning centers..”

Despite abundance of natural resources, Orissa is one of the most economically disadvantaged states in India, from people’s perspective. Research carried out by a joint team from PRAXIS – Institute for Participatory Practices and Action Aid, Bhubaneshwar, profiles some of complex inter-linkages between subsistence agriculture, drought, land alienation, indebtedness and migration in Orissa. In another study, speaking of the first Human Development Report of India, T.K. Rajalakshmi says, “One very important indicator that reflects the state of economic well-being is per capita consumption expenditure. Equitable and thoughtful strategy by both the state and the national leaders is ever so important for a balanced, sustained, and satisfying growth of the human capital. The following table gives a glimpse into Orissa’s disparity in Indian context. In 2002-03, per capita budgeted expense on education and training in Orissa was Rs. 395.71. In contrast Kerala spent Rs. 760.37 per head. In the Orissa colleges, the percentage of students enrolled in only 35% for women.

Human Dev Index /Human Poverty Index	Orissa	India
Human Development Index Value 2001 (calculated only for fifteen major states)	0.404	0.472
Human Poverty Index 1991	49.85	39.36
Gender Disparity Index Value 1991	0.639	0.676

There are many different ways an institute of higher education and research can contribute: through involvement in local and regional partnerships; links with local business and industry through targeted training and research consultancies; the establishment of research incubators, of science parks, of quasi autonomous R&D companies and the commercialization of research via spin-off companies and patents; student placements in local businesses; creating models of sustainable economy and environment; tying student projects to the needs of businesses and local community groups; and through its wider role as part of a network of knowledge industries, a feature which itself is used in local and regional promotion to attract out-of-state and overseas inward investment.

There is abundant evidence of socio-economic benefits of linkages though integration of a new institution of higher learning into a regional development strategy. Take for example the small and young University of Oulu in Finland which has become one of the best universities in all of the Nordic countries despite being located in a remote area close to the Arctic Circle. The rural region of Oulu has been transformed into a high-tech zone where a symbiosis exists among several winning companies such as Nokia, and the science parks dedicated to applied research in electronics, medicine and biotechnology.

In order to find solutions to complex, multifaceted problems related to living sustainably, when most of today’s educational institutes engage in highly specialized education and compartmentalized disciplines, Orissan institutions can distinguish themselves as centers for diverse interdisciplinary collaboration and a place of excellence, creatively leveraging advanced technology and cross-cultural/community communication and exploration of inter-disciplinary linkages, to promote sustainable economic development, and environmental ethics and values. This integrative approach is meant to produce a new generation of social and natural scientists that are both sensitive to the intrinsic value and inherent worth of the natural environment, but also create equitable and responsible forces of societal progress. Orissa can creatively provide national leadership in the areas of resourcing community development; sustainable land management, and value-added and diversified agriculture and forestry. It can help farmers, entrepreneurs, community developers, conservationists, and artisans alike, as well as private and public organizations, both for-profit and not-for-profit.

In addition to the traditional research goals, Orissa’s Higher Ed institutions should and could innovate in the following (non-exhaustive) areas:

· Ethics and Economics of the Environment

· ICT (Information, Computing and Telecommunication) for the rural poor:

o Education, over-the-network jobs, “digital dividend”

· Small Business Development – what and how of small-business planning, pricing, location of a business

o Franchising Education

· Microfinance

· Micro-enterprise

o Local content, local adaptation and local training

· Industry Sustainability – making large mining and mineral/metal based enterprises to become environment-friendly and sustainable

· Water management, desalination/purification, etc.

· BOP (“Bottom-of-the-pyramid” figure next page) Market development

o Off-grid lighting

o Innovative storage and cooling of produce and food products

o Need-sensitive vocational training

· Time-series econometrics, statistical cost-benefit analysis, and quantitative market research

· Being poor is expensive: from food, water, and credit to cell-phone. Finance, management, and market development for indigenous products and derivatives from the local flora and fauna.

· Managing biodiversity in a changing climate

Empirical research programs can include sustainable forestry practices, intensive rotational grazing of livestock, soil conservation structures, organic or biodynamic farming systems, integrated pest management, diversified crops and crop rotations, farmland protection, wetland and other habitat restoration, etc. The institutions can bring unique value by training a generation of micro/nano- entrepreneurs in revitalizing our agricultural and forestry resources. As an example, because earnings in extractive industries (such as agricultural production and timber harvesting) are generally low and highly volatile, many communities would like to build economic and environmental sustainability by adding value to natural resources through processing, packaging, marketing, distributing the products themselves, or by producing their goods with good market premiums.

Capacity building and need-sensitive performance with highest-standards must drive Orissa’s innovation in Higher Ed.