Koraput, Orissa: Locals living in the backward district of Koraput in Orissa have demanded that the Orissa Central University that is being established there must have at least 50 percent reservation of seats for locals of the area.

This demand by locals has emerged from a fear that they will not be able to secure seats to pursue higher education at the university due to not being able to clear the competitive entrance examination for admission to the varsity.

Dhampati Eding, a local resident said that although the university being established in the district is a ray of hope for many students, they fear that they will not be able to easily clear the entrance test for admission to it.

"The standard of education in our district is quite low and local students may lag behind others in the entrance examinations. Postgraduate courses mainly focus on science and research instead of social studies and technical education. This is also a problem as our students can mostly relate with social sciences and technical courses," he said.

Eding has suggested that reserving around 50 percent of the seats for local students would be of immense benefit to them as it would ensure more tribal students having access to higher education.

The Koraput District Gram Panchayat Sarpanch Association, comprising of 226 gram panchayats of the district, are in support of the suggestion by Eding for the 50 percent reservation.

Koraput district in Orissa is predominantly tribal-inhabited and is part of the Koraput-Balangir-Koraput (KBK) belt of the state. The literacy rate in the area is only 35 percent, being only 20 percent for females.

The locals of the area are expecting the university to provide them with job-oriented courses and higher education that will keep young students of the area from straying into Naxal activities.

District Collector Rajesh Pravakar Patil said, "Naxalism is a problem of the law and order. The university that would be established can curb Naxal activities by encouraging the local youth to take up research and preparing them for employment opportunities."

Vice chancellor of the Orissa Central University Surabhi Banerjee said that Koraput was in desperate need of a higher educational institution. She said that the university was being established keeping in mind the needs of the local inhabitants of the district.

The university would also be setting up a Centre for Tribal Welfare and Community Development as an extension project. The Centre would aim at coming up as a centre for excellence as well as for creating linkages with the urban areas for the unemployed youth of the district. It would also be conducting several skill development programmes for the local youth.