Archive for the ‘News’ Category

Vedanta University to Bring World-Class Medical Care to Orissa

Monday, April 6th, 2009

• Vedanta University announces the launch of 500-bed multi-specialty hospital
• Estimated cost is about Rs. 400 crore
• The hospital will commence services in 2011
• High-quality patient care affordable to the common man
• The Not-for-Profit institution is an initiative of the Anil Agarwal Foundation

April 5, Bhubaneswar:  Vedanta University today announced the launch of a world-class teaching and research hospital.  The hospital will address a long standing need for comprehensive healthcare services for the people of the region.

The University hospital, which will be built near the Puri-Konark marine drive, will be distinctive with its world-class facilities and infrastructure.  The hospital will place equal emphasis on patient care, research, and teaching.  It will be staffed by renowned doctors from India and abroad.   A Not-for-Profit institution, the University Hospital is committed to providing high-quality care at a cost affordable by the common man. Commending this initiative, eminent Indian cardiologist Dr. K.P. Misra said “the hospital will serve as a regional hub for critical specialties including cardiology and diabetology. As a teaching and research hospital, it will attract leading researchers and specialists in medical science from around the globe. The University’s research agenda will prioritize public health solutions that address the most prevalent medical issues in the region.”

On the occasion of the launch of the Vedanta University hospital project, a national seminar on “Optimum Medical Education and Ethics in Clinical Practice” was organized at Bhubaneswar.   The national conference was addressed by leaders in medical science of international repute, including Padma Vibhushan Professor M.S. Valiathan and Padma Bhushan Professor N.K. Ganguly.

The conceptual planning and design of the hospital has been prepared by the leading US-based hospital design firm Perkins + Will, who have previously designed state-of-the-art teaching and research hospitals at institutions such as Johns Hopkins University and the University of California at Los Angeles. “The 500-bed multi-specialty hospital will commence during the first phase of the University. Orders for construction have already been placed with Larsen & Toubro Limited,” added Sanjeev Anand Zutshi, Director of the project.

The University has already initiated research programs with local relevance.  Dr. Dipika Mohanty, a recipient of the Biju Patnaik award for Excellence in Science and Technology, has begun a Vedanta University-sponsored research project on interventions that can address the disproportionate prevalence of anemia in infants and children of Orissa.

The Vedanta University Hospital is a cornerstone of the institution’s larger commitment to serving public needs.  Students and faculty across disciplines will be encouraged to engage with local challenges, search for solutions that contribute to the development of Orissa, and pursue research priorities that have real impact on the lives of people.  In addition to initiatives in Medicine, the first phase of the University will include schools of Education, Arts & Sciences, Engineering, Management, and Nursing.    The hospital and initial academic programs will begin in 2011.

For further details, please contact:

Kishore Chandra Das

Head, Communications

Contact No. - 9437012258

E-mail id: kishore.das@vedanta.edu.in

Ashis Kumar Acharya

Public Relations Officer

Contact No. - 9937107444

E-mail id: ashis.acharya@vedanta.edu.in

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Vedanta University Floriculture Project Kindles Hope

Saturday, March 28th, 2009

Puri, 25-03-09:  Surath Baral of Kantigoroda, Udayanath Pradhan of Kantasila, Dusasana Swain of Goindal, Manakrushna Barik of Chalisbhatia and some others like them have a story they can’t wait to tell. They came, they saw and they are about to conquer! Well, it is their poverty, a mundane hand-to-mouth existence despite all hard work that they are sure to overcome. “Aau asubidha haba nahin. Eniki manisha bes dui paisa kamei pariba aau bhalare banchi pariba (No more hardships. One can earn quite well henceforth and lead a better life)”, says Surath and his friends agree. Actually, they are part of the farmers’ G-20 that has been successfully trained recently in marigold cultivation. This training programme conducted by Mrs Babita Mishra, Subject Matter Specialist (Horticulture) from Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Kakatpur of Puri district is part of the farmers’ livelihood initiative SAFAL, undertaken by the Vedanta University Project and the Anil Agarwal Foundation.

These farmers and their villages belong to the Puri-Konark area of Orissa where the world class Vedanta University is going to be built by Anil Agarwal Foundation, a philanthropic organisation established by the Chairman of Vedanta Resources Plc, Mr Anil Agarwal. Under SAFAL, acronym for Sustainable Action for Farmers’ Livelihood, the local farmers are being encouraged to move away from the low paying, traditional paddy cultivation and to take to more paying options like floriculture, vegetable (tomato and water melon) cultivation, pulses (green gram and black gram) and oilseeds (sunflower and groundnut) cultivation and dairy. The main objective of SAFAL is to increase the income of small and marginal farmers, empower them to organize into institutionalized community structures (farmer’s Co-operatives, SHGs, etc), facilitate their negotiation of key linkages in the value chains and thus, mainstream them.

As far as floriculture is concerned, the rationale is that flowers worth thousands of rupees are coming to Puri market daily from outside Orissa. Apart from some typical flowers used in the rituals of Lord Jagannath that are locally grown, none of these flowers are locally grown or supplied. Thus, farmers and suppliers from outside Orissa are making money. If, instead, the local farmers take to floriculture, they already have a ready and lucrative market. Therefore, local farmers like Surath, Dusasana and others are so enthusiastic about floriculture. They are to take up marigold and gladiolus cultivation that is more suited to the local soil and climatic conditions. The training programme on marigold cultivation is a successful step in that direction and demo cultivation of marigold that is going on in villages like Rahangiria, Kantasila and Kantigoroda, is already showing encouraging results.

A district level workshop on value chain analysis has also been held recently at Puri, under the aegis of Vedanta University Project of Anil Agarwal Foundation. The objective of this workshop was to share the findings of subsector value chain analysis of important crops/agricultural commodities in SAFAL operational villages. The SAFAL team had undertaken the subsector value chain analysis of six major crops/agricultural commodities like flowers, green gram, black gram, groundnut, sunflower and milk. The analysis has found that in order to improve the yield from floriculture and other cash crops and to ensure increased income for the farmers, the weak linkages in the value chain need to be strengthened. And for this, all concerned stakeholders, Govt departments, banks and marketing institutions should coordinate with each other. Findings of the study were discussed by the representatives of district level Govt departments like Agriculture, Horticulture, Irrigation and those of banks who participated in the workshop along with officials of Vedanta University Project and ACCESS, the partnering NGO. Assurance of all possible support from the participants has boosted the morale of the farmers. This, along with the commitment for community development reiterated by Mr Sanjeev Anand Zutshi, Director, Vedanta University Project has further heightened the upbeat mood. No wonder, when Surath talks of a new house, his children’s education and at least a bike for himself, others like him happily nod their heads in unison.

For further details please contact:

Kishore Chandra Das
09437012258
kishore.das@vedanta.edu.in

Ashis Kumar Acharya
09937107444
ashis.acharya@vedanta.edu.in

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Vedanta University Provides Infrastructure for DAV Oriya Secondary School at Puri

Thursday, February 19th, 2009

Puri, 12-2-09: In keeping with its intent to serve the society and to provide quality education to the children of the project impacted villages, Vedanta University Project has decided to provide a new building and all necessary infrastructure facilities to the DAV Oriya secondary school at Puri. On the initiative of the Vedanta University Project of Anil Agarwal Foundation, this Oriya medium school, named DAV High School, has been started by the DAV society for the first time in Orissa. This school will cater to the educational needs of children from the Vedanta University Project impacted villages.

Vedanta University Project will provide 3 acres of land with the fully constructed school building of 10000 sq ft. The school will have all facilities like modern classrooms, staff room, laboratory, library, activity room, space for sports & games, computer room, toilets and the like that a model school must have. Basic amenities like water, electricity, furniture, etc will also be there so as to create a benchmark ambience. Before this, Vedanta University Project has also contributed towards the improvement of infrastructure in the existing DAV English medium school at Puri, including construction of a new block.

It may be recalled that Vedanta University Project of Anil Agarwal Foundation has signed an MOU with the DAV society to provide quality education to 500 children from the project impacted villages.  On the basis of this arrangement, 101 children are already studying in the DAV English medium school at Puri. As per the wishes of local community, an MOU was also signed with DAV to start the Oriya medium school and so far 174 children have been admitted there. Vedanta University Project of Anil Agarwal Foundation is paying for the education of these children in the DAV school and all of them are being provided free school uniforms, bags, books and study materials. Four school buses have also been provided for their transportation. Apart from all this, Anil Agarwal Foundation is also providing freshly cooked nutritious meals daily and free of cost, to all the students of DAV School, Puri.

Such people friendly and community development measures implemented by the Vedanta University Project of Anil Agarwal Foundation have been widely appreciated by the local people and the intelligentsia.

For more details, please contact:

Mr. Kishore Chandra Das
Head, Communications
kishore.das@vedanta.edu.in
9437012258
Ashis Kumar Acharya
Public Relations Officer
ashis.acharya@vedanta.edu.in
9937107444

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Construction Plans Begin to Take Shape

Friday, December 5th, 2008

Puri, 5-12-08: Construction plans for Vedanta University are on the anvil. The University project authorities have held discussions over the last two days with highly reputed construction companies like Larsen & Toubro Limited, Shapoorji Pallonji, Ahluwalia, B.E Billimoria and Simplex, regarding construction of the academic buildings as well as the hospital at the University project site on Puri-Konark highway.

The Master Plan of the University has been prepared by the renowned architects Ayers Saint Gross of Baltimore, USA. The design for the super specialty hospital has been developed by the world renowned hospital architects, Perkins+Will from USA. The Vedanta University Project envisages setting up a world class multidisciplinary university that will put Orissa on the global education map.

The super specialty hospital will answer a long standing need for providing comprehensive and specialized patient care for the people of Orissa and eastern India. Both the University and the hospital are ‘not-for-profit’ institutions.

For further details, contact:
Kishore Chandra Das
Head, Communications
Email   kishore.das@vedanta.edu.in
Mobile No.:  91-9437012258

Ashis Kumar Acharya
Public Relations Officer
Email – ashis.acharya@vedanta.edu.in
Mobile No.: 9937107444

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Expression of Interest

Wednesday, September 17th, 2008

As a part of vendor selection process for the Vedanta University Project, the
Foundation invites reputed contractors I suppliers I service providers with proven
track record and sound credentials in the following areas:

• PKGA 01 Construction of Institutional buildings and townships (Firms with an annual turnover of about 250 cr. need only apply)
• PKGA 03 Primary (132 KV) Electric sub-station, outgoing switch rooms, ring-mains, 33KV secondary sub-station with incoming HT switchgears and outgoing LT switchgears,
• PKGA 04 HVAC Systems
• PKGA 05 Interior works and Low end MEP
• PKGA 06 Site Grading and preparation work
• PKGA 07 Roads, drainage systems, pavements, culverts, bridges.
• PKGA 10 Afforestation , Horticulture - roughly 250 acres.
• PKGA 11 External electrification works such as street lighting, pathway lighting, traffic lighting.
• PKGA 15 Site facilities including offices, boundary wall, fencing etc.
• PKGA 16 Temporary power, water supply sanitation, lighting communication etc.
• PKGA 17 132 KV High tension line diversion ( approx 8 Kms.).
• PKGA 18 Landscape design roughly 250 acres.

Interested parties are required to submit their EOI mentioning the Package they are interested in along with their qualification details mentioning the package code, along with List of similar jobs and turnover during last three years. latest by 30 Sept, 2008.

To sumit online please click here.

Please submit the above to:
Head Commercial
Anil Agarwal Foundation
Vedanta University Project
CT Road, Puri, Orissa 5752002.
Phone: +91 9238100367
Email: commercial@vedanta.edu.in

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Super-Specialty Hospital and Medical College work to start soon by Vedanta University Project, Puri

Tuesday, August 19th, 2008

• Super specialty 500 bed hospital and medical college.
• To be upgraded to 1000 bed later.
• Super specialties in Cardiology, endocrinology and acute care.
• Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology to be added later.
• Advisory committee with experts from India and abroad being formed.
• Noted Oriya Cardiologist, Dr. K.P.Mishra of Apollo fame and Dr. Dipika Mohanty, former Director of Institute of Immuno-haematology (ICMR) already joined as advisors.
• Major research projects in interventional treatment of anaemia/iron deficiency and sickle cell anaemia being initiated.
• The first phase of proposed Vedanta University will also include colleges of Humanities and Sciences, Engineering and Business.
• Academic session scheduled to start in 2010.

Puri, August 19, 2008: In the first phase of the Vedanta University project, a 500 bed super specialty hospital and medical college of international standard will be built. This will be expanded to 1000 bed Hospital in the next phase. The super specialties that are planned in the Vedanta Hospital are cardiology, endocrinology and acute care. In the next phase, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology will be added. This Hospital will answer a long standing need for providing comprehensive and specialized patient care and health services for the population of the region and will be a beacon of hope for the common man.

The Hospital is being designed in line with the highest standards set for the Vedanta University Project, and it will be a Research cum Teaching hospital besides providing highest quality patient care. The Hospital will benefit from the highly qualified faculty of the proposed medical college and will be managed by well trained professionals. An advisory committee, comprising distinguished medical professionals and academicians from India and abroad, will be formed to decide on the vision and scope of the medical center consisting of hospital, teaching and research facilities.

Vedanta University Project is pleased to announce that Dr. K. P. Misra, MD, FACC, FRCP, the distinguished Oriya Cardiologist and Director, medical education and Senior Cardiologist (retd) Apollo Hospital, Chennai, and Dr. Dipika Mohanty, MD, Ph.D. FRCP, Ex Director Institute of Immunohaematology (ICMR) and 2006 winner of the Biju Patnaik award for Excellence in Science and Technology, have joined as Advisors to guide setting up the hospital, medical college and medical research centers. On behalf of the Vedanta University Project, Dr Mohanty is initiating a major research project in the areas of interventional treatment of anaemia/iron deficiency in infants and children in Orissa as well as identification and treatment of sickle cell anaemia, which has a double incident rate in Orissa compared to other states where it is prevalent.

The Hospital and Medical College will form part of the first phase of Vedanta University Project that will include a core campus with colleges for Humanities & Sciences, and schools of Engineering and Business. The first academic session is planned to start in 2010.

The Vedanta University will be a world class multidisciplinary University of global scale that will promote greater learning, cutting-edge research and socio-economic development.

For further details contact:Mr. Kishore Chandra Das
Head, Communications
Anil Agarwal Foundation
Vedanta University Project, Puri
Email kishorechandradas@gmail.com
Mobile No. : 91-9437012258

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New Website Launched

Monday, March 26th, 2007

Welcome to the official website of the proposed Vedanta University.

This site will carry the latest news, information, and tender materials related to the proposed Vedanta University. This site will evolve as the project evolves, reflecting the progress of our efforts to build a landmark institution in India.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please contact us at info@vedanta.edu.in

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Largest Donation ever made to a University

Saturday, July 22nd, 2006

Original:  The Chronicle of Higher Education, July 2006

Indian Foundation Will Give $1-Billion to Create a Huge Research University

By SAMANTHA HENIG

In the largest donation ever made to a single higher-education institution, a foundation created by an Indian tycoon has committed $1-billion to establish a large, multidisciplinary research university in the Indian state of Orissa.
 
The institution, to be called Vedanta University, is scheduled to begin enrolling students in 2008, and will model itself after campuses like Stanford University. Its goal is to create an “economic hub” in India comparable to what Stanford has produced in Silicon Valley, according to a release issued on Wednesday by the Anil Agarwal Foundation.

Anil Agarwal, the chairman of Vedanta Resources, a metals and mining company in India, had said in February that he planned to finance an elite institution that would cater to more than 100,000 students. On Wednesday, he formally announced the $1-billion donation, to be given in phases. During a brief ceremony at the State Secretariat in Orissa, he signed a memorandum of understanding with the Orissa government.

The government has identified 8,000 acres of land for the campus and plans to pass specific legislation to give the university complete administrative autonomy, according to a written statement by Werner Kreuz, managing director of A.T. Kearney, Germany, the consulting firm that is handling the project.

That autonomy will set Vedanta University apart from India’s most respected higher-education institutions, such as the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, the Indian Institutes of Management, the Indian Institutes of Technology, the University of Delhi, and the University of Mumbai, all of which are state-run.

Although the country has made public higher education a priority, the existing institutions struggle to accommodate India’s college-bound population, and many within the system criticize universities’ emphasis on rote learning and say they do not adequately prepare graduates for the job market.

Mr. Agarwal has high hopes for Vedanta University’s contribution to higher education in India. “The Vedanta University will make global standards of educational excellence more accessible to future generations of our country, thereby creating tomorrow’s Nobel laureates, Olympic champions, and heads of government and state,” Mr. Agarwal said after Wednesday’s ceremony, according to a news release.

As the university’s enrollment grows past 100,000, it is also likely to absorb a substantial portion of the Indian students who might otherwise have been expected to pursue a higher education abroad. More than 80,000 Indian students came to the United States in 2004-5, representing the largest foreign contingent on American campuses, according to data reported last fall by the Institute of International Education. Substantial numbers of Indian students also study in Australia, Britain, and Canada.

To design the master plan for the university, the Anil Agarwal Foundation has appointed Ayers/Saint/Gross, an architecture firm in Baltimore. The firm has 90 years of experience with higher-education projects, and has designed buildings and facilities at such institutions as Duke University, Georgetown University, and Swarthmore College.
Dhiru Thadani, the project’s lead master planner, said in a written statement that “this is the project that I have been training for all of my life — to apply my 30 years of architecture and planning experience to further develop India as a knowledge economy.”

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Anil Agarwal Foundation signs MOU with Orissa Government

Wednesday, July 19th, 2006

The Anil Agarwal Foundation Announces a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Orissa to Establish Vedanta University
Government of Orissa identifies 8,000 acres of land near the Konark-Puri Marine Drive to set up India’s first world-class, multi-disciplinary university in the state

Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India, Wednesday, July 19, 2006 - The Anil Agarwal Foundation–promoted by Mr. Anil Agarwal, Chairman of Vedanta Resources Plc-today announced that it has chosen Orissa as the location for the world-class, multi-disciplinary Vedanta University. The formal announcement was made here today at a brief ceremony held at the State Secretariat where a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed with the Government of Orissa. Mr. Anil Agarwal has committed a personal endowment of USD 1 billion towards the setting up of the Vedanta University.

Mr. Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister of Orissa, who graced the signing ceremony, said, “It is a matter of pride that Vedanta is going to set up a world-class university in India. We are proud that this university is going to be located in Orissa. I hope this university will be the guiding light for thousands of students, both national and international, and will put in motion an immense knowledge revolution in our state.”

Speaking with the media just after the signing ceremony, Mr. Anil Agarwal commented, “India has the potential to be a global leader in business, technology, science, performing arts and sports. The Vedanta University will make global standards of educational excellence more accessible to the future generations of our country thereby creating tomorrow’s Nobel laureates, Olympic champions and heads of government & state. It is my honour and privilege to dedicate the Vedanta University to the people of India”.

Dr. Werner Kreuz, Managing Director of A.T. Kearney, Germany, who are consultants to Vedanta University said, “I am pleased to announce that after careful consideration and an exhaustive search, it has been decided to locate the Vedanta University in the State of Orissa. The Government of Orissa has committed to support and partner with the Vedanta University and it shares our vision of creating a centre of academia that will be amongst the best in the world and the first such university in India. The State Government will pass specific legislation to provide complete administrative autonomy to the Vedanta University. The State Government has identified 8000 acres of land near the Konark-Puri Marine Drive for the campus. The Government will also provide allied infrastructure including an expressway which will connect the campus to Bhubaneswar airport”.

The Vedanta University has appointed the globally acclaimed architecture firm, Ayers Saint Gross to prepare the master plan for the university. This firm has designed some of the best campuses in the world and has 90 years of rich experience with specialization in projects of higher education.

About the Vedanta University

The Vedanta University has been conceived as a world class, multi-disciplinary university. The vision includes the spawning of a research township that grows with the university. Besides serving as a ‘regional economic engine’ the university will set up state-of-the-art infrastructure to drive overall development beyond the academic dimension. The objective is to drive cutting-edge research and produce generations of Indian and global students who will go on to earn laurels in their chosen fields. The Vedanta University, based on a ‘not-for-profit’ philosophy, has been conceived with an autonomous governance structure, made possible by an endowment that provides self-sufficiency.

A university of this stature can have immediate impact on the local economy, by driving significant direct and indirect employment and economic value addition. However, in the longer term, this university will enable the creation of a ‘thriving ecosystem’, in terms of, academia, research, industry and government inter-linkages, resulting in the development of a new ‘economic hub’. Stanford University’s Research Park has spawned more than 1200 companies in the Silicon Valley, with a combined market capitalization of more than USD 300 Billion. The vision of the Vedanta University is to be a similar enabler for India.

The university’s academic and research agenda will reflect its ‘multi-disciplinary’ vision through colleges focusing on a variety of disciplines, including Liberal Arts, Basic Sciences, Engineering, Medicine, Law, Business and Performing Arts, as also ‘Centers of Excellence’ for cross-disciplinary research in areas like Agriculture, Biotechnology and Nanotechnology, Information and Communication Technology, Health Sciences, Rural Economics and Manufacturing Sciences. The Vedanta University would offer graduate, post-graduate and doctoral programmes with world-renowned faculty and potential Nobel laureates driving the academic and research agenda. At the core will be a high calibre, globally diversified student body, comprising an equal mix of Indian and international students. It is envisaged that as the university grows, it would also enable the establishment of other R&D centres, knowledge-based industries and start-ups, to create a vibrant, education and research township.

The estimated outlay for developing the university in phases is Rs.15,000 crores. Earlier this year, the Anil Agarwal Foundation had announced an endowment of USD 1 billion for the setting up of the Vedanta University. The university expects to begin enrolling students in 2008.

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