Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has recommended Governor Prof Ganeshi Lal to drop Rohit Pujari as Higher Education Minister for poor performance. Following this, Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak has been given higher education portfolio.
A few weeks ago, the Odisha CM reviewed the targets and achievements of the Higher Education Department during last four years and the fulfillment of the assurances given in the manifesto.
Meanwhile, the recently released National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) rankings have indicated the degrading trend in the education standard in the State.
In the overall performance, no educational institution from Odisha has been able to find a place among the top 100 educational institutions in the country.
Compared to last year’s rankings, private institutes have performed better in 2023, while public international schools have dropped significantly in the ranks.
According to the report, Utkal University, the state’s one of the oldest universities, has slipped to 93rd position in the latest ranking. The varsity with a score of 43.45 stood at 8th position from the bottom. On the other hand, OUAT is ranked 22nd among the top 40 educational institutions in agriculture.