Khallikote Unitary University, Berhampur, Odisha, India

Khallikote Unitary University, Berhampur – From Colonial Roots to Modern Odisha State University

Introduction

One of Odisha’s most historic educational institutions, Khallikote Unitary University in Berhampur evolved from a modest zilla school in 1856 to autonomous college and finally to a unitary public university in August 2021. Covering arts, science, commerce, management, education, and vocational areas, this state university merges heritage and modernity. This article explores its legacy, academics, facilities, research, placement, notable alumni, and present challenges.

1. Establishment & History

• Origins (1856–1878): Began as a Government Zilla School (1856), became Union College (F.A.) in 1878, later renamed Native College in 1887 (Wikipedia, kuu.ac.in).
• Khallikote College (1893): Renamed to honour Raja Saheb Harihar Mardaraj Deo who endowed a lakh of rupees, endowing 16.5 acres (kuu.ac.in).
• Affiliation changes: Initially with Madras University until 1936, then Patna, Utkal (from 1944), and Berhampur University (from 1967) (Wikipedia).
• Autonomous status (1990): Became Khallikote Autonomous College, offering UG and PG degrees in multiple streams.
• Cluster University (2015): Transformed into Odisha’s first cluster university under RUSA, comprising five colleges (Khallikote, Binayak Acharya, etc.) (Wikipedia).
• Unitary University (2021): Upgraded to Khallikote Unitary University, with no affiliated colleges, under UGC section‑2(f) recognition granted only in August 2024 after delay (The Times of India).

2. Affiliations & Accreditation

• Recognised by the University Grants Commission (UGC) under Section 2(f) from August 2024 (The Times of India, Wikipedia).
• Operates as a public state university – sole in its category without affiliated colleges.
• NAAC accreditation is pending due to lack of permanent faculty; earlier autonomous college likely had NAAC A but full university accreditation remains pending due to delays (Wikipedia, The Times of India).

3. Academic Structure & Courses Offered

• Currently comprises 22 academic departments, spanning Anthropology, Botany, Chemistry, Commerce, Computer Science, Economics, Education, Electronics, English, Geology, Hindi, History, MFA, Mathematics, MCA, Odia, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Zoology, BBA and B.Ed. (Wikipedia).
• Undergraduate programs: B.A. (Honours) in multiple majors, B.Sc., B.Com., BBA, B.Ed., BCA, MCA.
• Postgraduate programs: M.A., M.Sc., M.Com., M.C.A., M.F.A., M.Lib.I.Sc., and MBA in finance/control or related streams (UniversityKart).
• Most admissions based on state-level entrance tests like OJEE or CPET; some merit-based via SAMS (UniversityKart).

4. Facilities & Campus

4.1 Campus Overview

• Located in Brahmapur (Berhampur) on a 16.72-acre urban campus, formerly the autonomous college site (UniversityKart).

4.2 Infrastructure & Academic Amenities

• Library: Part of historic college with >100,000 volumes; now serving university needs.
• Labs and IT Centre: Computer labs with 200+ systems; science labs across departments (KollegeApply, UniversityKart).
• Classrooms: Air‑conditioned/smart classrooms, digital boards, guest rooms, and cafeteria.
• Support services: Central Bank of India branch (ATM), sub post office, health centre, stadium, gymnasium, auditorium (UniversityKart).

4.3 Student Amenities

• Hostels: PG hostel (28 rooms) currently closed due to structural damage; no hostel accommodation provided for now (The Times of India).
• Scholarships: E‑Medhabruti and post‑matric scholarships for SC/ST/OBC minorities; institutional merit-based awards (UniversityKart).

5. Academic Excellence & Research Activities

• Publications & Research: EduRank 2025 ranks the university #826 in India, #25 in Odisha, #2 in Berhampur, with ~1,329 publications and ~21,938 citations mainly in environmental science, biology, forestry and allied topics (Select Your University).
• Research Strength: Focus on tribal studies, social sciences, environmental issues; but research projects remain limited due to lack of permanent faculty and accreditation delays (The Times of India).
• Collaboration & Outreach: Heritage college historic role and emerging collaborations remain informal until full university functionality is restored.

6. Career Development & Placement Cell

• The faculty-led placement cell provides limited placements; university-wide placements reported at ~70% in autonomous college era (Collegedunia, Collegedunia).
• Placement Status (unitary university) is weaker: campus placement only for MCA/BCA; overall placement rates drop sharply (5–10%) off‑campus; average package ₹4–5 LPA; lowest ~₹1.8 LPA (Shiksha).
• Recruiters include private sector, small tech firms; few internships and corporate linkage currently active.

7. Notable Alumni

A legacy dating back to college days: distinguished individuals include:

• V. V. Giri, former President of India
• Bishwanath Das, ex‑Governor
• Justice Lingaraj Panigrahi, Justice B. Jagannadha Das
• Vice Admiral S. H. Sarma, Nityananda Pradhan, Ladu Kishore Swain (MP)
• Film personality Celina Jaitly, Sisir Mishra (film director), Tamanna Vyas (actor) (CollegeDekho, Wikipedia).

8. Reputation, Rankings & Awards

8.1 Rankings

• EduRank 2025: India #826, Odisha #25, Berhampur #2, tracking publications and citations (Select Your University, UniversityKart).
• NAAC accreditation pending due to structural administrative deficits; earlier college accreditation status presumed A or autonomous status without full university grading.

8.2 Institutional Challenges

• Lacks permanent Vice Chancellor and faculty (112 sanctioned posts unfilled) since January 2024; reliance on guest staff stops research projects, UGC grants cannot be accessed until Section 12(B) and NAAC accreditation received (The Times of India).
• PG hostel closed; campus unable to expand due to limited land; infrastructural upgrade delayed (The Times of India).

8.3 Strength in Legacy

• Historic prestige from colonial and regional prominence; high alumni success; central to eastern Odisha’s education ecosystem. However current functioning is constrained, pending stabilization and accreditation.

9. Address & Contact Details

Khallikote Unitary University
Sundar Nagar Campus, Berhampur, Ganjam District – 760001, Odisha, India (Careers360)
Website: https://kuu.ac.in/ (Wikipedia, kuu.ac.in)
Chancellor: Governor of Odisha; Vice‑Chancellor: in‑charge—Geetanjali Dash (since Jan 2024) (Wikipedia, The Times of India)
Faculty: 112 sanctioned posts, none permanent currently; faculty strength comprises guest and transferred staff (Wikipedia, The Times of India)

10. Strengths & Opportunities

10.1 Key Strengths

• Deep heritage and contribution to Odisha’s educational legacy since 1856.
• Large student body (~5,000 learners) and wide academic department offering UG/PG across disciplines (Wikipedia, UniversityKart).
• Recognized by UGC and awaiting accreditation to fully access central research and development grants.
• Some placement successes in tech and business disciplines; track record from autonomous college era.

10.2 Areas for Growth

• Immediate need to appoint permanent Vice-Chancellor and faculty to enable research, accreditation, and grant access (The Times of India, Careers360).
• NAAC accreditation must be obtained to unlock Section 12(B) UGC funding and research programs.
• Infrastructure requires renovation—PG hostel, laboratories, expansion land—as noted in news report (The Times of India).
• Placement infrastructure needs strengthening; introduce internships, corporate tie-ups and career fairs.
• Research collaborations and academic visibility require systematic development via faculty research programs, journals and workshops.

11. Conclusion

From a colonial-era school to autonomous college and now a fledgling Unitary University, Khallikote embodies both legacy prestige and modern challenges. It has the potential to evolve into a full-fledged research, teaching and innovation hub in southern Odisha—but only with institutional stability, permanent faculty, accreditation and infrastructure renewal. Alumni heritage is strong, but the present requires proactive government support to restore its role as a leading state university.

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