Utkal University, Bhubaneswar

Until 1936, when Odisha was made into a separate province, all its colleges   were under the   jurisdiction of either Patna University or Andhra University. Subsequently,  the Government of Odisha, headed by Shri Biswanath  Dash,  the  then  Prime   Minister;       appointed  a   committee  on  2nd March    1938  with  Pandit    Nilakantha Das as its Chairman to examine the possibility of establishing a separate university in Odisha. Then, during the premiership      of Maharaja    Krushna  Chandra  Gajapati, who played a pioneering  role  in  the  establishment   of  the   University,   the   recommendations of  this  committee  were  made  available.

Pandit   Godavarish Mishra,    the then Minister of   Education,   introduced the   Utkal University Bill, which    was passed by the Odisha Legislative Assembly on 30th June 1943. On  receiving the Governor’s assent on 2nd August  1943,  the  Utkal  University  Act,  1943 came  into  force,  clearing  the way  for  the foundation  of Utkal  University on 27th  November  1943.  The University started functioning from this date   in room no. 15 of Ravenshaw College, Cuttack. The Utkal  University Act,  1943 did  not  specify  clearly  the   territorial  jurisdiction  of  the  University.   However, its jurisdiction was extended to include the princely states of Odisha by an agreement between the rulers of these princely states and the Government of Odisha. According to the agreement, adequate representation of  the  princely states in  the  administrative  and  academic  bodies  of  the  University  was ensured. The Utkal University Act, 1943 was amended in 1947 defining the territorial jurisdiction of the University, which was subsequently extended to the   whole   state   of   Odisha   in 1950.   Dr.   Pranakrushna  Parija,   the     then Principal of Ravenshaw College, Cuttack was the first Vice-Chancellor of the University, and Mr. V. V. John, the  then  Assistant  Professor  of  English, Ravenshaw College was its first Registrar.

The University, to start with, functioned mainly as an affiliating body. But  soon  afterwards,  in 1949,  it  took  over  the  management of  the  under-  graduate  Department  of  Law  from  Ravenshaw  College, Cuttack and established its  first  constituent  college  now  known  as Madhusudan Law College, Cuttack.  In  1956,  the  second  phase  of  its expansion began with the opening  of  the  Post-Graduate  Department  of Geology in  Ravenshaw  College  Campus  and  an  Engineering  College  at Burla, Sambalpur. The  Department of  Rural  Economics  and  Sociology was also started in the  same  year  with  a  generous  grant  from  the  Ford Foundation. In 1957, Post-Graduate Departments of Philosophy and Sanskrit were established in the premises of the Burdwan House in Cuttack. The same  year,  the  University  office  was  shifted  to  the  Circuit  House  in Cuttack. The University in the initial phases provided new facilities for post- graduate studies only in those subjects which were not taught at Ravenshaw College at that time.  In  1958,  the  Post-  Graduate  Departments  of Psychology,  Statistics,  Political  Science  and  Anthropology  were  set  up. While the first three Departments were housed in the premises of Ravenshaw College, the Department of Anthropology was accommodated in a rented house in Bhubaneswar. The University took over the Post-Graduate Department of History from Ravenshaw College in 1959.  Post-Graduate studies in Zoology and Commerce were introduced in 1960 and 1962 respectively.  The Research Department   of   rural   Economics   and Sociology was   established   in   1956   and   introduced   Post-Graduate    courses in Applied Economics in the year 1963. It was subsequently renamed the Department of Analytical and Applied Economics.

Around this time, a movement for the creation of regional universities started   in   different    parts of Orissa. In response to this, the government of Odisha appointed the State University   Committee   in   1962   with   Dr. P.  Parija, the   then Vice-Chancellor of Utkal     University, as the Chairman. On the recommendation of the Committee, two more universities were created, one at Sambalpur and   another   at Berhampur.  The Utkal University Act, 1943 was suitably amended in response   to the new situation.   The two new Universities at Sambalpur and Berhampur came into existence with effect from 1st January 1967,   the date   from   which the new Utkal University Act came into force. The jurisdiction of Utkal University, which had earlier covered the whole of Orissa, was redefined in the new legislation.