Khallikote University is a state public university located in Berhampur, in the Ganjam district of Odisha, India. It was established by the Government of Odisha through the upgradation of the historic Khallikote Autonomous College, one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in eastern India.
| Khallikote University — Key Facts | |
|---|---|
| Type | State public university |
| Location | Berhampur, Ganjam district, Odisha |
| Country | India |
| Predecessor | Khallikote Autonomous College |
| Affiliation | Government of Odisha |
Background
The institution traces its origins to Khallikote College, founded in the nineteenth century at Berhampur and named after the Khallikote royal family, who patronised education in the southern Odisha region. Over the decades the college developed into a major centre of arts, science and commerce education for the undivided Ganjam region, and was later granted autonomous status in recognition of its academic standing.
In recent years the Government of Odisha undertook a programme of converting selected senior autonomous colleges into unitary state universities, in order to expand postgraduate education and research outside the older affiliating universities. Khallikote Autonomous College was identified under this initiative and reconstituted as Khallikote University, while continuing to function on its existing campus at Berhampur.
Academics
The university offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across the faculties of arts, science and commerce, along with research programmes in selected disciplines. Departments inherited from the predecessor college include the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities and languages, with both Odia-medium and English-medium instruction available in several streams.
Campus
The campus is situated in Berhampur, a major urban centre in southern Odisha and an important regional hub for education, trade and silk weaving. The university draws students primarily from the Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Rayagada and Koraput districts, as well as from neighbouring areas of Andhra Pradesh.
Significance
As the successor to one of the earliest colleges of the Madras Presidency era to serve Odia-speaking students, Khallikote University occupies an important place in the educational history of southern Odisha. Its conversion into a unitary university expanded opportunities for postgraduate study and research in the Berhampur region, complementing the work of the older Berhampur University located in the same city.
Related topics
- Berhampur
- Ganjam district
- Berhampur University
- Education in Odisha
- List of universities in Odisha
- State universities in India
References
- Wikidata entry: Q6399822
- Department of Higher Education, Government of Odisha — list of state universities.