The Odisha government on Monday withdrew its directives relating to streamlining self-financing courses that aim to put a cap on enrolment of students for such courses conducted by the state-run universities.

The state government was forced to withdraw it’s directives following a massive protest by the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), the students wing of the Congress on the issue. It had threatened to intensify its state-wide agitation against the order.

Earlier, the state government had maintained that the student strength of all SFCs (direct as well as public-private-partnership mode) put together shall not exceed 20 per cent of the total strength of all regular courses.

Making it more lucid, the department officials maintained that if the strength of students is 400 per year in all regular courses taken together, the educational institution can run SFCs with a maximum intake capacity of 80 per year.

It had also asked the state public universities to concentrate on conducting high-quality regular courses that would benefit the students. The officials maintained that the self-financing courses over-shadow the “regular courses of the universities”, and the chancellor of the universities had reportedly expressed concern over the way the SFCs are being conducted by the universities.

The higher education department has also made it clear that universities may consider running self-financing courses to a limited extent if there is any need. However, the students’ wing as well as intellectuals smelt a rat and there were allegations that the move was aimed at benefiting only privately run universities.

Even the officials of the state-run universities were miffed by the order. “It was the self-financing courses in computer, management and agriculture that brought in money for the cash-starved state public universities.

“Even campus recruitments from these subjects are quite high. The order capping the enrolment of students in SFS will only benefit the private universities,” said a senior official of state run universities.

Following a protest, the government decided to withdraw the notification with immediate effect.

“Higher education department letter no-15631 dated 16.04.2022, in regard to streamlining of self-finance courses in the state public universities, is hereby withdrawn. That’s for your kind information and necessary action,” said the letter issued by the higher education department.

On Saturday, the NSUI had staged a dharna in front of the residence of higher education minister Arun Sahoo and hurled stones at it opposing restrictions on self-financing courses in public universities by the department. They had alleged that private educational institutions would gain by running the same self-financing courses by charging higher fees.

Sources revealed that Sahoo was also quite disturbed the way senior officials had made it an issue at a time when there were rumours of a possible ministry reshuffle.

President, NSUI, Odisha, Syed Yasir Nawaz said: “It’s a victory for the students’ community.”