Bhubaneswar: Higher Education Minister Debi Prasad Mishra inaugurated the first meeting of the newly-constituted Task Force on Higher Education. The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Professor Trilochan Pradhan on Monday.

Secretary Higher Education Madhu Sudan Padhi, who is the convener of the Task Force, explained the works and objectives of the Task Force to its members. Five regional consultative workshops will be held at Cuttack, Balasore, Sambalpur, Jeypore and Berhampur to elicit opinion of the intelligentsias and the stake holders.

The first regional workshop will be held on October 20 at Sambalpur University, Bikram Deo College Jeypore- on October 22, Berhampur University on October 24, Ravenshaw College on October 26 and at Fakir Mohan University, Balasore on October 28. The State level workshop will be held at Utkal University on November 4

The Committee has been asked to suggest measures and means to improve the situation and bring it at par with international standard, keeping equity, excellence and inclusion of focus areas. It will also suggest a draft higher education policy for the State.

Prof Binayk Rath, VC, Utkal University, Prof DP Ray, VC, OUAT, Prof AK Pujari, VC, Sambalpur University, Prof Sunil Sarangi, Director, NIT, Rourkela, Prof Debdas Chhotray VC Ravenshaw Deem University, Dr Achyut Samant, UGC member. Commissioner and other officials attended the meeting.