Sambalpur University is planning to close down its 22-year-old department of Computer Science. Three years back, it was the then vice-chancellor Arun Kumar Pujari who had given a similar proposal to augment his pet project of Sambalpur University Institute of Information technology (SUIIT).
While Vice-Chancellor B C Barik has formed a committee to look into the feasibility of the issue on recommendation of the University Syndicate, students who aspired to pursue computer courses have already lost a year.
The UGC-sponsored department was started in 1998 with one-year PG Diploma in Computer Application (DCA) course. As the course elicited good response, the University introduced two-year self-financing course of MSc in Computer Science in 2001 followed by three-year Masters in Computer Application (MCA) in 2002.
Till now, about 600 students have passed out from PGDCA course while around 400 completed their MSc in Computer Science and MCA. However, in the last academic year, enrolment was stopped.
The department has an intake capacity of 30 students for each? course. Sources said although 35 applications were received during last academic year, the applicants were asked to enrol in SUIIT. As of today, the department has only students pursuing their second and third year course of MCA.Sambalpur University PRO Rajat Kujur said the department was being closed to merge it with SUIIT, an autonomous body under Sambalpur University.
